Mama Rosalina
by PrincessNellas
Summary: It's the Starbit festival again, and everything is going great. That is, until Bowser comes, and kidnaps the King and Queen of the Mushroom kingdom, leaving their infant daughter behind. Rosalina can't just leave her there; She has to repay Mario for all he's done for her. *WARNING:feels*
1. Disaster Strikes

_**QUICK AUTHOR NOTE: After looking at 10+ Mario Wiki pages, I came to the realization that for my story to fall in to place, 100 years would have to be different in the Mario world than it would be in the Real world. (Especially since the character design for Mario hasn't made him any older through the span of his entire existence). So, consider the Idea that 100 years is actually more around 5 or 10 years on the planet itself (aging wise). Thank you!**_

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The stars were especially bright that night.

Another 100 years have passed since the previous Star Festival, which ended up in disaster. Rosalina remembered the occurrence, as she let out a soft laugh.

"It's been 100 years, but I still remember it like it was yesterday." She spoke to herself. In front of her, the Mushroom World stood; glowing and illuminating a very soft, yet powerful light which made it stand out from the rest.

A gentle breeze from the atmosphere she was about to enter wrapped itself around her body, sending chills down her spine. It was refreshing to finally be back to her home planet. She knew very well her true home was with her children-_ the lumas-_ but as kind and as plentiful as they were, she still managed to feel isolated and alone.

She's been in space, wandering the galaxies ever since she was a very young girl. Even then, there wasn't a day that went by where she didn't think of her old home. The life she used to have by the hill, with her previous family. Her father who would take her stargazing, Her mother who gave her more love than anyone she'd ever met (besides the Lumas, that is);Her brother, who would tease and pick on her, but always have her back at the end of it all; she really did miss them. Lumas kept company, and she loved every single one of them, but she was very happy and relieved to come back and enjoy the citizens company.

"Mama! Is that the Mushroom Kingdom?" A younger luma questioned with excitement, motioning to a cluster of yellowish orange lights located on the land mass they were closing down on. She nodded her head with a gentle hum.

Rosalina had been asked this question countless times before from the younger group of lumas. It warmed her heart to know they shared the enthusiasm she had for the kingdom. If Rosalina told it again, it would have been the 41st time she told the story of how a red clad man came to their rescue and powered the observatory in order to save his special one. The lumas never ceased to grow tired of it. And hopefully, the lumas will be able to meet him; and his special one. It is said that they were married a year after their return home, and even have a child now.

"Will we get to meet Master Mario, Mama?" Another luma chirped. Rosalina turned her head to face the small blue star and gave him a soft smile. "I hope so."

They all seemed to be glaring off the side of the observatory at the planet that lie before them. Rosalina did the same, as she imagined what was happening down there at this very moment. They're probably very excited. The streets littered with confetti and streamers, while music plays; Children running with nets and bags, waiting to collect all the starbits they could possibly fit into them. It's probably an especially wondrous day for the King and Queen. Their newborn will get to experience all the magic of the stars, and the sweet taste of a starbit that Rosalina herself has very fond memories of.

"Mama! Mama!"

Rosalina's thoughts broke as she turned her head immediately to the panicked green red luma that was beginning to startle the others.

"What's wrong?" She returned in a gentle yet serious tone. The luma showed no sign of calming down.

_"There's an asteroid! It's headed straight for the kingdom!"_

All the various lumas gasped in unison and panic. Rosalina did the same as she made her way to the opposite side of the observatory to see for herself. Much to her displeasure, the Luma wasn't wrong. There was indeed a mass of land headed to the kingdom below. Rosalina's eyes widened with fear as it grew larger and larger.

The sounds of the Lumas panicking grew softer and softer, as Rosalina froze on the spot with pure fear. She was the _queen_ of the cosmos. She had to take care of all the lumas. And now it was in her hands to take care of_ all the citizens of the Mushroom Kingdom_ who still had no idea it was coming.

Rosalina snapped out of her trance. Looking back up to the Asteroid, she realized that it wasn't an asteroid after all. It was much worse. On the bottom of the hurling ball was the emblem of the one who had taken the power source to her beloved home 100 years ago. The one they called Bowser.

She rose a hand in the air, trying to hold the mass. A purple force field appeared in front of it, but the hurling ball crushed it. It had been moving at too fast of a pace, and was far to large to be stopped. Rosalina gasped, and grabbed her arm feeling her force field shatter and turn into stardust. There was nothing she could do now, but watch as the ball hurled its way into the planet below.

She suddenly stumbled, feeling the observatory jerk to a start as it moved itself out of the way of collision. Rosalina fell to the floor, her wand sliding just out of reach. The boulder began to pick up speed, as it hit the atmosphere, and was dangerously close to the observatory. It became evident that Rosalina and the Lumas weren't what the Koopa king was after this time. It was the kingdom itself again.

The orange glow of the flames that now engulfed the 'asteroid' illuminated the terror on the face of the Queen. She was always so strong and bold faced; she had to be, for her lumas sake. But now it seemed all she could do is watch the disaster unfold once again.

She shot her hand over the edge of the observatory once more, creating a force field over top of the kingdom, where Bowser was headed. It was much larger than the last, and took up a lot of the Queens strength. She heard a large and menacing laugh, as a rocket emerged from the mass, which activated, increasing the speed.

_"No..."_ Rosalina croaked to herself, knowing the inevitable was about to happen.

The large force field shattered with a ear bursting bang. It turned into mere stardust just as the one she'd tried before ended up becoming.

"Mama! Stay away! I sense bad things are going to happen!" A yellow Luma called to her, making its way to try and help Rosalina up.

"No. Get back, young one. I don't want you getting hurt," She said frantically. She picked herself up, along with her wand and regained her posture as she began to float again. She looked on to the crowd of lumas who stared back at her, as if to ask 'What do we do?'.

"Full speed to the kingdom. We need to help them." She said loudly. The lumas seemed to take notice, as they flew to their propper stations. "Lord knows they've helped us." She said to herself, frowning at the scene. The asteroid seemed to grow smaller and smaller as it got closer to the ground.

The Observatory Jolted to a start, as it began to go full speed in the same direction as the ball of fire that had passed them just moments before. It seemed that the Queen couldn't do anything, but she wasn't going down without a fight. She was going to give it her all, even if that wasn't enough.

The Mushroom Kingdom transformed from a cluster of lights into hills, houses, and the beautiful castle that lay in the center of it all. It truly was a remarkable sight to see, even though now was not the time for sight seeing. Getting even closer, they almost matched the speed of Bowser. The Queen could finally see all of the citizens, running from the kingdom frantically.

**BOOM**

The noise rang through Rosalinas ears. In front of her, she saw the asteroid, which had collided with the grass outside of the castle. She made the observatory stop in a halt, as she circled her wand, and floated down to the ground. She hovered lightly above the dirt path, that was now littered with springs and other robotic pieces. Toads ran past her, along with other citizens of the kingdom.

"I hope you're alright, Master Mario." Rosalina whispered to herself, hovering towards the area of the impact. As she neared the location, she noticed the King and Queen, backed up in a corner which had been created by a pile of dirt that been pushed up from impact. She saw the Princess holding what Rosalina assumed to be an infant, and the Red clad hero standing with his fists clenched in front of her. 'So the rumors were true' she spoke softly, admiring the thought for a split second, before she snapped back into reality. Bowser emerged from the shadows of the wreckage, making Mario give him an even more menacing glare._ If looks could kill._

"I've waited long enough. If I cant have the princess, I know how to get her." The koopa king scowled, as he looked at the baby Peach had cradled against her chest. The princess looked paralyzed with fear.

Mario looked as if he was about to attack, but as the seconds ticked on, he did nothing. He backed up to get closer to the princess, still not breaking eye contact with Bowser. He probably didn't want to risk a chance at loosing his child.

"_Never_" Mario snapped back, taking a step forward.

"I didn't expect you to just hand it over, so I brought_ this_." He chuckled, as his son, Bowser Jr., rolled out some type of machine. It made a loud noise, and began to glow. Whatever that machine was going to do, it was going to do it very quickly.

Rosalina decided now would be her best chance to help. She hovered over the hill she was hiding behind, and flew fast and made her way in front of the couple, holding out her hands, creating another force field. The machine fired, creating a large explosion that luckily, this time, unharmed those on the opposite side of the force field.

The smoke cleared to reveal Bowser and his son, coughing and stained black with ash. Rosalina swiped her hand down, removing the force field.

"I suggest you leave." The Queen spoke with force, catching the eyes of the koopa king. "Or what?" He growled. She didn't break eye contact.

She saw Mario step into her vision, quickly giving her a "lets do this" smile out of the corner of his eye. He said nothing but cracked his knuckles. Bowser laughed for a short while, making The Queen grow unsure of herself. Mario still looked fierce as ever.

"Knock it off. You're fighting a loosing battle." The Red Clad man shouted. Bowser still maintained a smile, and chuckled another time. Rosalina soon was filled with worry again and lost all faith she'd had in being able to stop him. It was hard to fight when you were left so in the dark with the others motives.

"I think you're the one who's loosing."

_**"Mario!"**_

Turning around in an instant, Both Rosalina and Mario were met with the frightful scene of the princess being hoisted up to an airship that hovered above. On the rope, stood Bowser Jr. Who snickered.

Mario ran as fast as he could, and jumped, grabbing on to extra rope that hung from the knot around his wife's waist. In an instant, Rosalina was shoved to the ground, as the lazer fired once more. This time it was dead on, and ended up placing Mario and the Princess in a blue bubble, that floated up to the airship.

Rosalina lifted up a weak arm and tried to break them free with her magic, but throughout all her attempts, none of them were successful.

Sitting up as fast as she could, Rosalina turned around to face The Koopa King, but he was nowhere to be found. Looking up, she saw him soaring to the airship in a mad dash. It was obvious that he didn't want to fight anymore. He'd already been injured from the explosion and he got the Princess. Before Blasting off, He looked down to Rosalina who could just gaze back up. "Don't worry about us anymore. We'll be out of your hair;_ forever_." He finnished with a chuckle.

The princess, who was now sobbing, put both hands on the bubble she as in and looked straight at Rosalina.

_"Take care of them. Take care of** her**."_ She shouted, as the Airship and all of its counterparts zipped through what looked like a black hole.

_'Them? Her? Is she talking about her citizens?_' Rosalina thought, tears welling up in her eyes. She hadn't cried in a very long time, but this was all too much. She sniffled, and then stood up. She didn't feel the need to hover. As the loud sounds from the ships faded, another sound filled Rosalinas ears; a baby cry.

The queen of the cosmos blood ran icy cold, as she was struck with the realization that They'd left_ the baby_. Her eyes met the source of the sound, as she ran over to the bundle of pink fabric on the ground.

Rosalina couldn't believe her eyes. Before her was a beautiful baby girl; a human. Unlike any luma she'd ever cared for. Unlike any luma at all, for that matter. She had light ash brown hair, and bright blue eyes which were now stained red from all the crying she's been doing._ Poor thing_.

Scooping her up, Rosalina softened her gaze and held her close to her chest. "Don't worry. We'll find your parents._ I promise_." She said, shutting her eyes, wrapping her arms around the child; trying to make her feel warm and safe. In an instant the crying subsided. Everything went quiet, untill a light coo was heard from the bundle in Rosalinas arms.

Still distraught from the incident that had just occurred, She looked down to the baby with curiosity. Of course the baby didn't know her parents had been kidnapped, how would she be able to understand?

Rosalinas ears perked at the sound of a light chime. A chime that only happens once every 100 years. A chime that comes from _falling starbits_.

Looking up, She noticed all of the bright colors of starbits falling from the sky, hitting the ground and still making the unmistakable twinkle that Rosalina could identify anywhere. The girl in her arms let out a soft giggle at the sight, which in turn made Rosalina smile. She would do anything to keep this little girl safe. It was going to be a lot of work, but so will be finding the King and Queen. All Rosalina knew was that it was going to happen. She had to repay them for everything they've done for her.

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**This is more of a prologue of sorts. Not sure if this kind of thing is still relevant in the Mario FF pages, but I've been thinking about this story all week, and I couldn't go another day without typing it out and reading. I hope you all enjoyed it!**


	2. A New Baby

Rosalina's feet touched the observatory, as she let out another one of her famous sighs. She tightened her grip on the little girl in her arms, who was now fast asleep.

All of the lumas stared at her in pure awe. It was obvious that they wanted to know what was going on, and what happened.

"What's happened, Mama?"

Rosalina turned her head to the luma who had called for her attention. Even though only one had spoken up, she was sure that was the question on every lumas mind. She didn't really know how to explain this all to them. She assumed shed just have to go back to the beginning.

"Master Mario and his special one have been kidnapped by the evil one who sent that asteroid." She spoke. All of the lumas and starbunnies gasped in horror. The man they've heard so much about; the hero they all looked up to, and hoped to one day thank was now in the clutches of evil. Who knows what he's enduring at this moment.

There was a few short moments of silence as they were all taking in the information.

"But... _What's that?_" A starbunny questioned, staring at the baby in Rosalinas arms. The queens eyes widened, as she remembered the baby she held in her arms. leaning the baby back, Rosalina realized she was still fast asleep. She'd have to tell her Lumas sooner or later about the little girl she had to take care of.

"A baby. Master Mario and his special ones baby." She said again, still looking at the little girl in her arms. She still couldn't quite believe what had just happened.

All of the lumas and starbunnies gasped in pure awe. Rosalina smiled at the sound. "A baby _human_?!" "Is it a girl or a boy?" "Is it cute?" "Does it look like-"

Rosalina laughed, and spoke loud to catch their attention.

"Everyone, _calm down_. She's a baby human. A _baby girl,_ to be more precise." She said.

"Just like... _You_, Mama?" A blue luma questioned. This made all the other lumas curious too. Even though they were all very smart, they knew very little about humans.

Rosalina looked down again to the sleeping baby in her arms. "I guess you could say that."

Loud cheers were heard, as the lumas and starbunnies all crowded closer and closer to Rosalina, hoping to get a peek at the baby. "A new Mama!" one of them called out, followed by more who joined the pursuit. "Now we have two mamas! _How lucky for us!_" Another chimed out.

The queen of the cosmos grew alarmed by this. She quickly backed away, to try and still remain the center of attention as opposed to the baby.

"_No no no_, She's _not_ going to be another mother. She's only going to stay with us until I can rescue her parents. Then she's going _straight_ back home."

The lumas and starbunnies looked very saddened by this, but soon understood. Master Mario and the Queen of the Mushroom Kingdom were top priority. "But, she'll be our mama until then, right mama?" A starbunny questioned. Rosalina looked more distraught than usual. She didn't like to make her children upset or sad. But there were instances when it had to be done.

"No. She's just a guest here until We can save Master Mario and his special one."

The starbunny grew a frown, and backed up into the crowd of lumas and starbunnies behind him. The other lumas began to show the same expression, until all of them looked as if they were going to burst into tears. Rosalina couldn't just stand there and let her children weep. Even if the reason for weeping was something very simple and minor. If anything, it made it easier for her to resolve.

"Consider her a sibling," The queen spoke, catching the eye of every luma and starbunny, whose frowns subsided.

"_Sibling_?" They all chanted, unsure of what the term meant.

Rosalina giggled, and smiled. "Like a _Sister_."

The Starbunnies began to jump with joy, and the lumas began to chirp with happiness.

"All right, settle down, settle down..."

They followed her instruction, and continued to get closer once again. "Mama?" A yellow luma questioned.

"Yes, dear child?" She responded, giving him a soft look. "I was just wonderin', if shes not our mama, then what do we call her?"

At this moment, a bunch of lumas chimed in.

"OH! What about Celestia?" "Don't be stupid, it's got to be Orion!" "Orion is a boys name, _silly_! Name her Carina. The prettiest, and brightest star in the galaxy!"

Rosalina knew naming her would only grow attachment. She didn't want her children to grow attached to this little girl, only to see her go back where the Lumas wouldn't see her. But at the same time, she didn't want to hurt them. It was in that moment, that something shone into Rosalinas eyes from the bundle she held in her arms. She blinked a few times, to make sure it wasn't just her seeing things. There was indeed something there. Reaching in, she noticed it was a golden locket. On the outside it read, "_La nostra piccola principessa._"

Rosalina didn't know much Italian, but she knew that it translated roughly into "_Our little princess_"

It broke the queens heart to see that. This little girl needs to be with her parents. Rosalina knew that very well, and this only motivated her to get right to saving her parents. While examining it further, she could see that there was a latch so that it could be opened. Doing so, she saw a photo of the royal family. Queen Peach, and Master Mario, cradling their daughter. They looked so happy; so content with life. Seeing his face made Rosalina smile. He deserved to be happy. Not to be kidnapped. Nobody deserved that.

On the opposite side of the inside of the locket, it read "_Princess Bella_". That must be her name. _Bella Toadstool_. She wondered if it was short for something. It suddenly came to her.

"Bellatrix" Rosalina spoke, silencing the arguing lumas and starbunnies. They looked to her.

"We will call her _Bellatrix_."

One of the starbunnies jumped in the air with agreement. "The _brightest, prettiest star in the Orion constellation_!"

The lumas and starbunnies all cheered with agreement of their mamas choice. Rosalina could do nothing but smile at the scene. She loved to see her children so happy.

A sudden cough was heard, as the group went silent. There was another cough, followed by a light coo. The lumas and starbunnies knew this must have meant that the baby was awake, and quickly swarmed the Queen again. This time, Rosalina didn't try and fight it. She just laughed, feeling starbunnies and lumas jump on her shoulders, and float up to her eye level.

Bella was cocooned inside her blanket, with her arms extended outward to one of the bunnies. Rosalina smiled. "You like bunnies too, huh?" She said playfully to Bellatrix as she giggled back in response.

"Does she look more like her mama or papa?" The starbunny asked, leaning forward on his mothers shoulder. "Both."

"She's so beautiful!" A luma squealed, wanting to get closer.

"I'm going to go set her down to rest. We need to hurry and find her parents. Every second here is one wasted; one she could have been with her family."

The lumas and starbunnies few off the Queens shoulders, and let her fly forward towards her bedroom.

"Where did the evil one take Master Mario?" A green luma questioned again. Rosalina wasn't sure herself.

"I don't know... I haven't the slightest clue. But I will find it. I promise. I promised her."

The lumas followed their mother sheepishly to her bedroom, but quickly left her be and watched from a distance, still enamored by the child.

Rosalina came into her bedroom, and closed the curtain behind her. She took her wand, and swirled it around in a few circles as a crib appeared. It was white, and had gold and silver stars and other engraved things on it. It was truly a masterpiece. The baby laughed again at the sight, as she tried to grab Rosalinas wand. The Queen just giggled, and set the wand on her bed.

"Do you like it? Luma and I made this when I was a young girl."

It was obvious the baby hadn't the slightest clue of what Rosalina was talking about, but she still cooed in response.

Setting Bellatrix down in her crib, she began to whine and fuss. "Please, don't get upset... Please? What's the matter?" Rosalina asked, worry evident on her face.

Bella kept reaching her arms out, and closing her hands. It was if the lack of someone holding her made her scared. Rosalinas eyes widened. She had an Idea.

"Now, this is a very prized possession to me." She said again, as she made her way over to her bed. She leaned over it, and picked up the one thing she couldn't live without when she was younger.

Her stuffed Star Bunny.

She walked back to the crib, and slowly set the starbunny inside beside Bella. She immediately filled the room with giggles and laughter, as she grasped the bunny and began to hug it. She began to nibble on the ears, which panicked Rosalina.

"No no-" She said, trying to pull the ear from Bellas mouth. "You're not supposed to chew on it..." She finished. The baby began to wail again. Rosalina let out a frustrated sigh. How was she going to do this?

Bellas mouth was wide open, as she was crying. Inside, Rosalina noticed little white bumps making their way through her gums.

"You're teething... That's why you need something to chew on." She figured. Rosalina quickly wove her fingers in a circular pattern, as a ring of starbits appeared from thin air, and meshed together into one solid ring.

"Here." She said again, handing the child a starbit teething ring. She knew reading that book about young humans would have come in handy someday. Bella had stopped crying, and smiled at Rosalina.

The queen rest an elbow on the crib, and sighed.

"_You're a handful._"

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_**Thanks everyone for your reviews! They mean a lot! I hope you enjoy the story so far. **_


	3. I'm Okay

**_A/N: This chapter might be boring, but I had to add information and some slight character development. Hope you still enjoy it, nonetheless! _**

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It's been _3 months_ since the disastrous starbit festival, and there was still no sign of the King and Queen. Rosalina had been searching day and night; through each galaxy, and each planet. She even traveled to the center of the universe, but they were nowhere to be found. Rosalina began to feel even more stressed out than she already was. She was trying so hard to keep her promise. It was a much harder task than she previously believed.

Rosalina was running on 2 hours of sleep. She might be the queen of the cosmos, but she still needed her beauty rest. Bellatrix would _always_ cry in the middle of the night, begging for starbits or attention. The Lumas didn't mind much. They loved the idea of a new friend; a new_ sister_. Bella meant as much to the lumas, as Rosalina.

"I cant believe we cant find them, I've looked everywhere..." Rosalina spoke, looking at the map of all the galaxies. They all had Red 'X''s on them. She'd exhausted all possibilities.

"Don't worry, Mama. We will find them!" A luma said, flying close to her. Rosalina just looked down, feeling the tears welling in her eyes. She couldn't bear the thought of breaking her promise; Of Bella never seeing or living a life with her parents.

"What if they're gone? _Forever_?" She said, looking back up to the map. The lumas gasped in horror. "Mama, you mustn't say such things!"

"Yeah! If anyone can do it, you can!"

Rosalina sniffed, and then regained composure. She was stressed from the lack of sleep, and assumed it was her nerves. She normally wouldn't just break down.

"Thank you... I'm not sure why I jump to awful conclusions," She said, giving a warm look of thanks to the lumas. She looked back to the large map in front of her.

"I just don't know where they could possibly be... It's been _3 whole months_..."

The emotions were almost too strong to take. She had to repay the favor to Mario. She just had to. Not only for Him, but for his new Kingdom, and his daughter; his precious little princess.

The lumas chirped at the sound of a wailing; it was Bella again. Rosalina turned her head, and started rushing to the bedroom. She tripped over her foot, and fell forward, catching herself with her hands.

"Mama!" A luma called, rushing up to her, followed by two others. They helped her catch her balance. She was usually so graceful, but now she was so sleep deprived, it made her all the more vulnerable.

"You need rest, Mama." Another luma stated. Rosalina blinked a few times, waking herself up.

"No No- I'm wide awake! I need to see Bel-"

"We can take care of her!" A red luma said, also helping Rosalina stand up straight. They finally made their way to the bedroom. Rosalina pushed aside the curtain.

"No no no!" Rosalina said, shaking them off of her. The lumas looked taken aback. Bella's cries grew louder and louder as she saw Rosalina in the room. She wanted attention.

"Thank you all so much. I just... I couldn't bear the thought of her getting hurt. Even if it was an accident." Rosalina finished, looking much more awake than before. She turned around, and scooped Bella up, which made the princesses cries stop almost instantly. "All she wanted was someone to hold her, see?" Rosalina said with a large smile. The queen had grown extremely fond of Bellatrix during the months she's been on the observatory. Even though she was exhausted, she loved taking care of a baby human.

"But you _still_ need your rest!"

"I know, and I will get it. But it's not necessary right now. Besides, I need to write back to Toadsworth," She said, ending in a softer tone. She remembered that she'd have to tell him she still couldn't find the King and Queen of their kingdom. Rosalina recalled the promise; she recalled the night that happened 3 months ago.

"Okay, Mama...We'll leave you be."They said, being very understanding. Their mama had been through a lot recently.

Rosalina spent a minute or two, just admiring Bella. Looking at her, wondering what her parents were dealing with.

"Well, I better go write Toadsworth. He hasn't gotten a letter from me in weeks." The queen said, standing up from her bed. She walked slowly over to the crib once more, as she set the princess down in the crib. Bella curled up with the starbunny, and let out a yawn. "At least one of us is getting sleep..." She said with a laugh.

Rosalina leaned down into the crib, and brushed Bella's now eye length hair out of her face. The Queen let out a light sigh as she kissed the princess on the forehead. It was something she'd never done before. If Rosalina was going to play mother for the Queen, she didn't want there to be a moment where Bellatrix didn't feel unloved.

"I'll be back soon." She said, sitting back up. She made her way out of the bedroom, and into the library. She had recently built on a study to the library. She rarely used it; most of the time, she would make a quick trip to the galaxy she would have otherwise written too.

She sat down, and pulled out a blank piece of stationary. Blowing the dust off her desk, she used her magic to pull out a pen.

The room fell silent as Rosalina sat in it, alone. All that could be heard was a faint clock tick. How was she supposed to write to him? To tell him again for a 3rd Month that the King and Queen were nowhere to be seen? Everyone down in the kingdom would be in a panic. Their rulers were the only ones who brought stability to the kingdom. Sure, Toadsworth decided to take over the role of king until the rightful rulers were saved; but them being saved was all in the hands of Rosalina. What would happen to them, if she couldn't find their rulers? If she couldn't keep her promise?

She mulled over ideas as to where they could be. She knew they were with Bowser, but that was the extent. Did he separate the two? He could if he wanted to. But that would make a whole new set of troubles for Rosalina.

She was starting to get stressed again, as she stared blankly to the stationary in front of her. She had to write something. Letting out a shaky sigh, the Queen of the Cosmos began to write.

_Dear Toadsworth,_

_I regret to inform you that through all of my attempts, I still have yet to find Master Mario and Queen Peach. I still haven't given up, and I will continue to look tomorrow. I've exhausted all the possibilities, so we're bound to be close. I will find them, I promise._

_As for the Princess, she is safe and sound. Not only do I have my eye out for her, but so do all of the lumas. She's in excellent care, and I can assure you she will be back before you know it. Thank you for your patience._

_-Rosalina_

She used her magic to put the pen back into a cup that sat on her desk. She re-read the letter several times, before finally giving it to a luma to take it to the Mushroom Kingdom. She still felt awful for leaving the kingdom so in the dark, but It was the best Rosalina could do. She didn't want to panic everyone.

She stood back up, and made her way to her bedroom again. All the lumas were wishing her a goodnight. They knew Rosalina needed the sleep.

Brushing aside the curtain to her bedroom, she saw that Bellatrix was still asleep. Rosalina smiled at the scene as she whispered a "goodnight".

She made her way to her bed, and threw herself back on it. '_I'll find them_.' Rosalina thought again to herself. '_I... I promised_' she whispered, as her eyes finally closed and she drifted off into a deep sleep.


	4. Rosalina's Storybook

**Hello! Sorry for not updating this sooner, I was really busy this week. Just as a little disclaimer, I DONT OWN 'ROSALINAS STORYBOOK'. It wasn't written by myself. All rights for that go to Nintendo. You can Youtube the storybook, if you havent played "Super Mario Galaxy" To see/read the storybook as it is being read in the story. There is also something Magical about listening to the music while reading it. Anyway, I hope you guys enjoy this! Thank you!**

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Today marked the 4 year anniversary of the Festival. Rosalina didn't stress out as much about finding the King and Queen. As much as she denied it, it had seemed that she lost most of her hope she had for finding them. She'd still respond to Toadsworth, filling him with hope that even Rosalina didn't have, but after 4 more months have passed of constant looking and searching, it was the only other possibility.

Bellatrix was now about 4, and was walking and taking. She wasn't the best at pronunciation, but she definatly tried. I guess you couldn't expect much from a little girl who's teeth werent all there yet.

Rosalina decided to put more effort towards raising Bella, than rescuing the King and Queen. There wasn't a day that went by where she didn't feel regret for not putting full effort into her promise, but what if she was correct? What if she was right about them... being gone? Forever? She'd have to take Bella under her wing. There were some things even the queen of the cosmos couldn't fix.

Rosalina was sitting at her desk in the library, mulling over what to say in another letter she was planning to send to Toadsworth. It was moments like this, where She felt extremely bad for cutting down the effort she put into looking for their king and queen. It's been four years, and with every letter, its only grown more difficult to write back with another _"We're still looking"_.

It must be frustrating to get that over and over again. But it was very frustrating to Rosalina, as well.

"_Mama_?" A voice called from the hall. The voice that called was in a much softer, babyish tone. Rosalina turned her head in an instant, as she knew the voice by heart.

In the doorway, stood Bellatix; grasping her stuffed starbunny (which used to be Rosalinas) by the arm in her left hand, followed by the right hand on her eye. She let out a yawn before trotting up to Rosalina. She wore a white nightgown that had no shoulders (like Rosalinas dress) and had a light amount of lace at the bottom. Rosalina smiled at the scene, and stood up.

"You know I told you to not call me that, sweetheart." Rosalina said in a stern, yet soft tone. Bellas Ocean eyes blinked a few times before her cheeks got red. "Sorry, I forgot."

Even though Rosalina was taking care of Bella, she didn't want her to think of her as her parents. Rosalina could never take the place of them. She knew that very well. Even if she couldn't find them, she knew they were out there. No matter how long, she knew. And she felt like that would just be the icing on the cake of being unhonorable. She began to feel stressed again, thinking about the letter she still had yet to write.

"I cant sleep. I'm afraid of..." Bella began, pausing mid sentance to look around and check her surroundings, as if it was a secret. She rushed up to Rosalina, and tugged lightly on her dress, telling her to lean down. Playing along, Rosalina did just that.

"_the koopa king monster_"

Rosalinas eyes grew wide. How did she know about him? Sure, Rosalina didnt want Bella to call her 'Mama', and she made it very clear, but how was a 4 year old supposed to piece that together? Did she know about her real parents? Did she know they were kidnapped by King Koopa? Did she find the Locket Rosalina had kept hidden, and go from there?

"See, you look scared too Mama!" She said again. Rosalina stood up straight again, and looked curiously down to Bella again. Bellatrix stared wide eyed back up to the Queen. Rosalina ignored the fact that Bella had called her 'mama' again.

"Where did you hear about him?" She said, in a seious tone staring back to Bella. Rosalina's heart began to race. How was she supposed to explain this to a 4 year old?

"From the storybook in the bedroom!" She said happily. The Queen let out a sigh of relief. Rosalina had many storybooks, but she never included anything _too_ graphic. She had to read them to the lumas, who scared very easily. Thinking back, She could only recall one instance where she wrote about Bowser. It in the story about a red clad man, who saved the day; the one her lumas loved.

"The Red one is so brave! He can take on the monster _all on his own_! To save the princess!" She said again. Bellatrix was very smart for her age. Reading about child development had informed Rosalina that the average reading age of humans was 5-6. There wasn't much to do around the observatory, especially for someone so young. So reading seemed to be something Bella enjoyed emensley. Rosalina would often read to Bella when she was younger. It was probably something Bellatrix enjoyed from the begining.

"He was very brave." Rosalina said again, with a laugh. She was very relieved. A loud gasp was heard, as Bellas eyes grew triple in size. **_"You've met him!?"_**

The Queen was a bit taken aback by this, and was instantly ashamed again for keeping her parents a secret. She brushed it off. "Yes, He stayed here on the observatory."

She gasped and then looked to her feet and started jogging in place. "He's walked on this floor?!"

Rosalina started to laugh at the adorable scene. "What's so funny ma-" Bella began, cutting herself off, remembering Rosalina didnt like to be called 'Mama'. It was really hard to not say it, considering all of the Lumas have said it.

Bellatrix was a lot like her father in numerous ways. Besides the Dark brown tousled locks, and the ocean blue eyes, she had a sense of adventure and boldness. She would always be running around the observatory, climbing on things, and even breaking a few glasses in the kitchen. She was a little spitfire. Rosalina often imagined how Mario and Peach would have taken care of her.

"Nothing darling, nothing."

Bellas soon wandering eye caught something sitting on a rocking chair. It was a storybook with a large power star on the front. It looked thick and heavy, but Bellatrix ran over to it anyway, setting her stuffed starbunny on the ground.

"What are you doing?"

The young princess grunted in frustration, failing to pick up the book. It had been heavier than she previously thought. Rosalina finnaly saw what Bella was trying to get at. She darted to the little girl, and picked the book up. Bella stared up to Rosalina for a moment. "I could have lifted it all myself!"

Rosalina just giggled. "I know you could have. Sometimes it's just nice to help others."

Satisfied by her response, Bella sat down on the floor, crawled over to the starbunny, and then back to Rosalinas feet; staring up to her with wide pleading eyes. It was obvious that Bella wanted Rosalina to read the story to her. How could the Queen say no to such an adorable face?

"Alright, _alright_." Rosalina said with a laugh, sitting down next to the little Princess who eventually made her way to Rosalinas lap. She let out a cheer of excitement. Finnaly, a book she haden't seen before.

Rosalina knew this book to well. It was the first ever storybook she had written. It was her storybook. It was one of the most liked books by the lumas, and the queen had momentarily wondered why she'd never read it to Bella.

She opened to the first page, which read **"Chapter 1: The Celestial Duo"**

_Our story begins a very, very long time ago with a young girl. One day, this girl spotted a rusted spaceship holding a small star child._

_"What's your name? Are you lost?" the girl asked the star child. "I'm Luma and I'm waiting for Mama. She's coming for me on a__ comet__!" said the star child, who had been waiting day and night._

_"Don't worry. I'll wait with you," the little girl promised Luma._

_At nightfall, the little girl borrowed her father's telescope and peered into the sky. She looked and looked, but she saw nothing. Hours turned into days and then years, but still the sky revealed nothing. Finally, the little girl sighed and said to Luma, "If we stay here looking much longer, I'll be an old lady soon." But then she had an idea. "Why don't we go out there and find your mother ourselves?"_

_The girl and Luma fixed up the rusty spaceship, and then the two set sail into the starry sky. And this is how the search for the celestial mother began._

Rosalina flipped the page leading to the next Chapter. Bellatrix was staring at the pictures wide eyed with wonder. It was evident that she was in no mood to stop reading now.

The Page read **"Chapter 2: Star Bits"**

"Oh! Oh! I_ love_ star bits!" Bella chanted excitedly. Rosalina smiled. "As did I."

She continued to read.

_Days passed with no sight of the comet, or even a single planet. Instead, __asteroids_ extended _for as far as the eye could see. "If I had known it was going to take this long, I would have packed more jam," said the little girl, above the rumble of her belly._

_Before they left, she had packed all the essentials: telescope, butterfly net, stuffed bunny, bread, milk, jam, and apricot-flavored tea, but..._

_"I forgot to bring water!" At this, Luma burst into gales of laughter, and the girl began to pout. "As long as I have Star Bits, I'll be fine," said Luma. "Want some?" The little girl couldn't stay mad after hearing this._

_Luma continued to laugh, and the girl couldn't help but join in. "All right, maybe just a nibble."_

_Leaning far out of the ship, the pair began to collect Star Bits with the girl's net. They almost fell out a few times, but they kept on collecting. The Star Bits tasted like honey._

"They do!" Bella squealed again. Rosalina loved to see Bella so happy. Her eyes wandered the page until she came across the stuffed bunny in the little girls hand. "That looks like _my_ starbunny, mama!" She said, pointing to the picture. Bella brought her hand down. "Im sorry" she said again. Rosalina smiled at her and flipped the page to the next chapter that read **"Chapter 3:The Comet"**

_A beam of light pierced through the ship's window. Thinking it was the morning sun, the girl peered through the window, only to find a turquoise blue comet shimmering at her. The little girl shook the sleeping Luma awake and shouted excitedly, "We HAVE to get to that comet!"_

_The pair descended on the comet and found that it was made of ice. They looked high and low, but Luma's mother was nowhere to be found. Exhausted, the little girl sat down with a flop, utterly unable to take another step. "Look!"_

_Peering down at the icy ground where Luma was pointing, the girl suddenly noticed clusters of __Star Bits_ _encased in the ice. "Pretty good, huh? Finding Star Bits is my specialty!"_ _said Luma, beaming. "There's ice here, but it's so warm, I'll bet there's water here too." The two decided to stay on the comet for a while. Riding the turquoise comet, the pair continued their search for Luma's mother._

**Chapter 4: The Dream**

_One night, the girl dreamed about her own mother. "Where are you going?" she asked her mother's retreating back. Without turning, her mother replied, "Don't fret, dearest. I'm not going anywhere. I'm always watching over you, like the sun in the day and the moon in the night."_

Bellas eyes grew sad at the sight.

_A wave of sadness washed over the girl. "What about when it rains, and I can't see the sun or the moon?" Her mother thought for a moment before responding._

_"I will turn into a __star_ in the clouds and wait for your tears to dry."

_When she awoke, the girl's face was damp with tears. "You have __Star Bits_ _in your eyes!" said Luma to the girl. Wiping her face, the girl replied, "These are tears, not Star Bits. I'm crying because I'll never see my mother ever again!" At this, Luma began to cry too. "Mama, oh, Mama... waaaah!"_

Bella gasped and almost started to cry as well as the girl in the story. She didnt know what she'd do if she'd lost Rosalina.

_The pair traveled through the starry skies, and though they encountered many other comets, not one of them held Luma's mother. Luma was despondent. "Now, now, Luma. The rain clouds won't go away if you keep crying," the girl said, giving Luma a squeeze. "I'll give you a present if you stop." The girl closed her eyes and said gently, "I'll take care of you." With these words, she felt a small spark in her heart._

Rosalinas voice began to crack as she remembered all the nights she'd cried over loosing her mother. She realized that She's essentially creating the same Feelings for Bellatrix by keeping her from her parents. Shaking the thought like she always does, she continued to read.

**Chapter 5: Home**

_"The Kitchen will go here, and the library will go over there," the girl said busily to herself. "We'll put the gate here." Ever since the girl took Luma under her care, she'd been bustling about at a feverish pace. "It's a lot of work, but it's worth it to make a happy home." It turned out that Star Bits weren't the only things buried in the ice. There were tools and furniture unlike any they had ever seen, and the girl used them to build a home._

Bella gasped again. "**That looks like the kitchen**!"

_Looking at the completed house, Luma remarked, "Don't you think it's awfully big for just the two of us?" With a library,bedroom, kitchen, fountain, and gate, it was certainly spacious, but still, something seemed to be missing. "If only my father, brother, and mother were here," the girl said wistfully._

_Indeed, the house was too large for its two small residents._

_That night, clutching her favorite stuffed bunny close to her heart, the girl fell asleep in the starship._

Bella noticed the starbunny again, but this time didn't say anything. The Queen flipped the page and Continued to read yet again.

**Chapter 6: Friends**

_Then one day, while the girl sat sipping tea, a tiny apricot-colored planet appeared on the horizon. From the planet, another Luma of the same color emerged. "Do you two know each other?!" the girl asked the two Lumas gleefully. Despite the girl's excitement, they seemed uneasy._

_The two Lumas neither drew closer nor backed away from each other. Instead, they just stared. Then one Luma broke the silence. "My mama!" At once, the apricot Luma parroted back, "My mama! My mama!" "My mama!" "My mama!" The two Lumas began to dance around the girl frantically, and neither showed any sign of stopping. The girl was so charmed by this adorable scene that she couldn't help but laugh. And that's when something very strange happened._

_Suddenly, more Lumas began to pop out from the apricot planet. They were different colors, but they all shouted the same thing. "My mama!" "My mama!" The sight of all the shouting Lumas only made the girl laugh harder. "What am I going to do with all these children?!" The Lumas just stared blankly as she doubled over laughing. "I guess we'll have to name each and every one of you." Tomorrow, once she had finished naming them all, she would begin moving all the Lumas into __the new house_.

Bella was confused. This all seemed to line up with Rosalina's life. Was this her? Was this a story about her life?

Bella looked up to Rosalina who continued to turn the page.

**Chapter 7: The Telescope**

_After seeing their 100th comet, a sudden thought popped into the girl's head: "I wonder if my home planet is still as blue as it was." That's when she remembered her father's telescope._

_Peeking into the telescope, a tiny blue dot floated into sight. It was smaller than a Star Bit. "How strange... It's so far away, but it feels so close."_

_She twisted the knob of the telescope, and the blue dot grew until she could make out a grassy hill dotted with flowers. It seemed very familiar to her. Zooming even closer, a terrace on the hill came into view. "I used to go stargazing there when I lived on my home planet."_

_She remembered rubbing the sleep out of her eyes as she followed her father up that hill to look at the stars..._

_She remembered how she and her brother would sled down that hill..._

_She remembered having picnics with her mother on that hill on bright and windy days... And..._

_"I want to go home! I want to go home right now!" The girl burst into tears, and the Lumas didn't know what to do. "I want to go home! I want to go back to my house by the hill! I want to see my mother!" The girl was shouting now, her face wet with tears. "But I know she's not there! I knew all along that she wasn't out there in the sky! Because...because..."_

_"She's sleeping under the tree on the hill!" The girl's cries echoed through the stars, and a hush fell over the area._

**Chapter 8: The Wish**

_Though usually quite cheery, one day the girl became sad again. Luma drew close and tried to comfort her. "Mama, you still have me!" "And don't be sad about your mama, because she's a part of you! That means she's always close by!" "It's like me. I love Star Bits because they remind me of my mama." "No...no..." the girl said, unable to stop the tears._

_A lonely look flickered across Luma's face, but it was soon replaced by a wide grin. "I have an idea!" "I will transform into a comet, a soaring comet that can carry you all on this journey!"_

_With that, Luma, trailing bands of white, soared high into the sky and just as quickly started to plummet back down. KABOOM! KABLAM! The ground shook, and a bright light poured out of the crater that the Luma had created._

_The bands of light twisted together to form a comet tail. And then Luma emerged, reborn as a comet._

_The girl could scarcely believe her eyes. "But...how?" she kept asking. "Our destiny as Lumas is to transform into different things," said a red Luma who had suddenly appeared._

_"Stars, comets, planets... We can become all of these things! When I grow up, I want to become a star that makes someone special smile," said a green Luma. A blue Luma chimed in, "That Luma turned into a real cutie of a comet, didn't he!"_

_All of the Lumas together said, "No more crying, Mama!" "Thank you..." said the girl in a whisper, and she pulled the Lumas close and hugged them. From that day on, Star Bits no longer fell from the girl's eyes._

_The comet set forth for the girl's home planet, its long tail blazing proudly behind it._

The Princess smiled at the book again, letting out a yawn. She didn't realize lumas grew up to be planets and comets. She wondered briefly if she could turn into a comet one day.

"Are you tired? Should we stop?" Rosalina asked gently. "No! We cant stop now, we're almost finished!"

The Queen smiled and flipped to the Last chapter. **Chapter 9: Family. **

_With its many Lumas and telescopes, the comet was quite a sight to behold. The girl and the Lumas were proud to call it home. At a welcoming party for a new Luma, the girl gathered everyone in the Kitchen and said in a louder voice than usual... "All right, everyone! Let's make a cake! A cake sprinkled with Star Bits! Then it will be a star cake!" The Lumas excitedly began to gather the ingredients._

_As she watched the Lumas scurry about, the girl smiled and thought to herself, "This is my family now, and I will stay with them until they're ready to leave the nest. And when they do leave, I'll see them off with a smile. Because that's what makes a mother happiest."_

_That night, when the girl lay down to sleep, a soft light enveloped her and reminded her of the blue planet she once called home. "But it would be nice to return home once every one hundred years to nap in my favorite sleeping nook."_

_The comet carrying the Lumas and the girl continues on its journey to this very day. With more "family members" in tow than can be counted, it's said that the comet visits the girl's home planet once every hundred years, its proud white tail glittering in the sky._

_-The End-_

Rosalina felt herself yawn, as she closed the book and set it beside her. Bella was fast asleep in her lap, restricting the queen from moving. Not wanting to disturb her, Rosalina smiled and tilted her head back against a bookshelf behind her, and ran her hand over Bellatrix's head. She shut her eyes for a moment, and ended up falling into a slumber.

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**Thank you all for reading! I hope you enjoyed it!**


	5. Center of The Universe

**Hello! This chapter is pretty long, so I'm sorry if you don't have much time. It's also not the end of the story, (in case you thought it might be by the ending). This chapter is going to be Rated T for a bit of violence, but its nothing TOO graphic. If you enjoy this, Reviews are a great way to let me know! Thank you!**

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"_So, how are things with you?" Queen Peach asked, sipping on her tea and setting it down on the matching china. There was a gentle clink as the cup touched the plate. Rosalina's mind drew blank. The queen of the cosmos looked up from her wand that she held in her lap. Mario and Peach were staring at her with confusion; probably as to why she hadn't answered the question yet. _

"_Oh! I'm...I've been alright." She said back, then soon felt embarrassed for neglecting such a simple question. Or was it that simple? Rosalina couldn't even remember how she'd gotten here. This didn't feel right, but why not?_

"_Just alright? It's been 4 years since we've seen you. I know 100 years is a long time up there; especially alone," Peach said again with a light laugh. Rosalina began to show a hint of confusion on her face. "But I'm not alone, I have all the lumas," Rosalina began, something else coming to mind, but she couldn't put her finger on it. There was someone else besides the lumas, right? _

_Peach and Mario stared at the queen, as if to continue to wonder what or who she was thinking about. _

"_**Papa! Mama!" **_

_Rosalinas eyes widened. Her heart grew warm, as a smile went over her face. She turned instantly to the voice she knew and cared for with all her heart. It was Bellatrix, dashing towards Rosalina. She loved to see Bella so happy._

_Bella was wearing a much nicer dress than what Rosalina remembered fitting and sewing for her. It was white and had red, blue, and pink flowers along the trim. It was silky and looked brand new; minus the dirt stain on the chest. The golden crown she wore was beginning to slide off. She had a bag slung over her shoulder, and draped on to the other side of her body. It bounced against her leg as she ran. _

_'How strange...' she thought. _

_She didn't dwell on it to much, though. She was laughing, and giggling with glee at the sight of her parents._

_Rosalina began to open her arms for the little girl, who in a mere second flew past the Queen of the Cosmos and into her fathers arms. Rosalina felt a twinge in her heart. She shook it off. After all, Bella wasn't Rosalina's daughter. __**As much as she wanted her to be...**__ No, that's selfish; Bella isn't Rosalina's to have. She again tried to shake the thought. Mario let out a loud laugh, as he picked up the young princess, and gave her a little twirl before setting her down on his lap. _

"_Oh! Bella, you've got dirt all over your new gown!" Peach whined, with a frustrated pout. Mario gave his wife a light smile. "I can buy her a new one." Peach didn't return the smile, but she lost her frown as she continued to sip her tea. _

"_What do you have for me today?" he said, smiling brightly to his daughter who returned the smile. It was a beautiful sight to see. It was obvious he had held enormous amounts of pride in his heart for his daughter. The princess un-gracefully took her side bag, and opened the latch, dumping its contents on to the table. A Frog jumped out from a pile of dirt, that also contained worms, various bugs, and two or three mushrooms. _

"_Ech!" Peach scowled, pushing herself back from the table. "Sweetie, keep the dirty things off the table! We eat here!" She spoke again, standing up and dusting any dirt she may have gotten on herself off. _

"_Sorry mama..." She said again, gaining a small hug from her father whose lap she still sat on. Peach gave her a soft look. "It's alright, darling. Go upstairs and get cleaned up for dinner." _

_The light returned to Bella's eyes as she smiled and slid off her fathers lap. "Okay, Mama!" _

_Hearing Bella say 'Mama' sparked a bit of sensitivity into Rosalina. She remembered telling Her to not call her 'mama'. _

_It was then that she remembered that Bella had been staying with her since..._

_Since the king and queen were kidnapped..._

"Mama! Mama!"

Rosalinas eyes snapped wide open to the sound of a frantic luma. She wiped her mouth and eyes in a moment, before shushing the luma. Looking down to Bella, who was still fast asleep on her lap, Rosalina let out a small smile. She was kind of glad the dream wasn't true.

"Mama! This is _very_ serious!" The blue luma squealed again. Bellatrix groaned for a second and then fell back into sleep. The last thing Rosalina wanted to do was wake up the child.

"What is so important?" she whispered back.

**"We've located Master Mario and Queen Peach!"**

Rosalinas eyes grew wide and her blood ran cold as she began to hover, holding the little princess in her arms. "Where are they?!"

"They're in the center of the universe! We must go now, mama! Before we loose them again!"

The Queen didn't hesitate. She Quickly flew to her bedroom, and placed Bella inside the crib she'd grown familiar too. She quickly made her way to the base of the observatory. There was a blinking red dot in the center of the map; the center of the universe.

A Ice cold wave washed over Rosalina. It was the shame she'd been pushing aside. It was all starting to resurface again; the suppressed feelings she felt for the 4 years since the festival. All the feelings of regret for not trying to find them sooner came right back up, burning the back of her throat. She couldn't believe this was actually happening. It's been 4 whole years, It was bound to happen; Rosalina also in some ways wished it didn't. But it was thoughts like that that made her feel the wash of shame sink even deeper into her heart. She still stared at the red blinking dot, feeling her heart match the beat until it was all she could hear.

"Mama?"

She turned to a yellow luma, who looked at her with concern.

"Does this mean we'll have to give Bellatrix back?"

As much as it hurt Rosalina to hear herself say it, She stood bold faced.

"Of course."

The luma looked saddened by the information, but also understood. The lumas all spent a great amount of time with the little girl, and loved every second. So did Rosalina. And even though the lumas weren't aware, the separation was going to be the hardest on the Queen.

She rose her wand, as a burst of magic flew from it and went to the top of the observatory. Blue tails of shimmering light began to surround the observatory as it wobbled and then soon jolted to a start. Rosalina was now fighting back tears. She fell again under the realization that her time with Bellatrix was growing shorter and shorter by the second. She tried to replace those thoughts with thoughts of Bella being happy with other Humans; with her real parents. Something Rosalina could never truly be- a mother.

She was a mother to her lumas, but she'd never ever have a human child of her own. And through the tears she again felt selfish for considering an outcome that wasn't her choice. It wasn't even a possibility. Rosalina knew she shouldn't have gotten attached, she knew it. It was clear on her face that she hadn't followed her own instincts and now was regretting it.

"I know I should have never let anyone in..." She mumbled through tears, her wand still held high as the observatory turned into a comet and blasted off into the center of the universe.

It didn't take long to get there, especially going at such a fast speed. With a simple wave of a finger, the observatory stopped and the blue magic sparkled down onto the observatory and all its inhabitants. Before her, was a land made of lava; it looked completely unoriginal to the one before it. Rosalina had never mustered the courage to take something on like this herself, but now she was going to have to. The Lumas were busy with tethering the observatory to the atmosphere. Without the Queen on the ship, it would float aimlessly through space.

Rosalina Shut her eyes, and felt the heat of the oncoming planet on her face. She knew she had to do this. Lifting a foot up, Rosalinas concentration was broken once again by the same voice that always caught her attention.

"**What are you doing, Mama? It's hot here. You'll get burned." **

It was Bellatrix, standing in her nightgown with her starbunny clutched in her left hand. Rosalina maintained her bold stance. She couldn't let Bella in anymore.

"I thought I told you to not call me your mother."

Bella looked crushed again, as she gave the stuffed starbunny another squeeze. "I'm sorry. I was just worrie-"

"How did you get out of the crib?" Rosalina said again, not Making eye contact with the little girl. She knew that just one look at her would make the queen break down into tears. Bella blinked in confusion.

"I figured out the latches! All by myself!" She spoke proudly, as she swung the starbunny in front of her. "That's _not_ something to be proud of. You're not supposed to do that. Go back to bed, this doesn't concern you."

Bellatrix let out a sniffle, and then Rosalina could defiantly tell that she was crying. Rosalina didn't mean to be cold. Instantly giving in, The Queen hurried up to the now sobbing princess.

"I'm so sorry, sweetheart."

Rosalina hugged Bella tightly for a short moment, until the little girl stopped crying.

"I need you to go lay down. I'm going to go to that planet over there."

Bella turned her head in confusion. Her eyes were stained red, and she was still wiping the starbunny against her face to clear her tears. Rosalina thought about an excuse to get Bella to go to sleep.

" I need to get your surprise, so I need to go alone."

Bellatrix's eyes widened with delight, and quickly faded to the bright blue they always had been. "Really!? A surprise?! All for me?!"

Rosalina couldn't help but let out a laugh. She stroked the side of the princesses face. "Of course. So I need you to stay here."

She smiled, and nodded in agreement. The little girl trotted back in the direction of the bedroom, until she was out of Rosalinas sight. The Queen let out a sigh, as she turned back to the fiery planet.

"_I'm really going to miss her."_

Bella poked her head from behind the library, and saw Rosalina turn around to face the ball of fire. The little girl had no idea what it was, or why her 'mama' was going there.

Rosalina wove a hand, and a purple illuminated path formed in front of her.

Bella gasped in awe of what she'd just seen. She's seen Rosalina hover, and the little bursts of stardust she can create, but she's never seen anything like this. It was purple and it twinkled. Rosalina began to walk down in like a path, and Bellatrix's curiosity got the better of her. With her starbunny in tow, the little princess quietly trotted to the beginning of the path, and placed a gentle bare foot on it.

"Woah!" She whispered, feeling the twinkle beneath her toes. It was one of Rosalinas force fields that she could manipulate into different forms. Bella had never even heard of a force field, so her wonder was to be expected. Catching the little princess eyes, was the tip of Rosalinas crown that was now dipping out of view.

She continued to follow the queen, still very curious of her surprise. She continued to happily slide across the path, remaining quiet. The last thing Bella wanted was to get caught. She stood for a moment, staring at the molten planet in front of her. It did look like a very dangerous place; why was her mama going there alone? What kind of present was there for her?

Bellatrix didn't want to get left too far behind, so even though her stomach felt unsettled, she rushed behind Rosalina, whose foot finally touched the planet. Bella knew not to get too close, but looking behind her, she noticed that the path was beginning to dissolve into stardust. She ran faster, tripping and then slipping to the warm soil on the planet with a light 'oof'. She'd made it just in time, as the path had finally finished dissolving behind her.

Rosalina heard it, and turned her head to the sound. Bella ducked behind a crater before the queen noticed her. Rosalina eventually continued walking again, with Bella following sheepishly behind. Bellatix had no idea what it was like off of the observatory. This was a whole new world.

They had been walking in a distanced pair for what seemed like forever to the little princess. Her legs were tired, and the soil just seemed to be getting hotter and hotter. With a light pout, the princess considered selling herself out, just to get back home with out walking.

Suddenly, a loud bang was heard, followed by a cloud of dust that swept over the planet. Bella and Rosalina began to cough hard. As the dust settled, in front of them appeared Bowser, the nasty king koopa from the storybook Bella read.

The little princess, now filled with fear, took a few steps back and hid inside a crater, peaking over the edge. Bella didn't want anything to happen to Rosalina.

"You're finally here? Took you long enough." He snarled. His voice was deep and harsh. The little girl was now shaking.

"Shut up. I would have been able to find you sooner if you didn't have a camouflage sensor on your ship." Rosalina hissed back. Bellatrix had never heard Rosalina be this harsh. What was she doing with the nastiest koopa of them all? Where was her present? This wasn't a very good present at all.

"It's been really boring without any competition. Lets get things started, shall we?" He said again, as mechanic noises sounded. A cage was being lowered from a giant machine that had been hiding behind an inactive volcano. Bella couldn't quite make out what was inside the cage.

A smaller koopa who looked like a clone of the larger one slid down the chain the cage was attached to. Bellas eyes were drawn to him. Who was this?

"Master Mario!" Rosalina shouted. Bellas ears perked up. The man from her stories?! Was this her surprise? What a great surprise! Bella let out a squeak with excitement.

The towering Koopa monster stopped, and sniffed the air in front of him.

Bella sunk deeper into the crater, fearing she had been spotted. All that could be heard was the whistle of the breeze. The silence was soon followed by the sound of footsteps walking towards Bellas location. Rosalina had no idea what he was after.

Bella felt her nightgown get pinched in the back, as she was lifted into the air only to end up face to face with Bowser. Her crystal blue eyes shrunk in size as she began to shake with fear. The little girl was only the size of the Koopa kings head. Rosalina gasped out of the corner of her eye.

"Bella!" She shouted, trying to reach up to grab the little princess from Bowsers claws.

"Annabelle?" a soft voice croaked from ahead. Bellas eyes widened, as she remembered the sweet tone of the voice. She looked up to the cage which was much closer to her now. She could clearly make out a woman with long golden hair, and a pink dress that had been tattered. Beside her was the red clad man in her storybooks. They both stared at Bella in awe, tears flowing from their eyes.

"So, this is the little one, eh?" Bowser chuckled, giving the little girl a menacing glare. She had to help Master Mario. He saved Rosalina and all the lumas. It was the least she could have done.

The little princess reached her legs up, and kicked the koopa in the snout. He dropped her, as he clutched his nose. "You brat!"

The crowd gasped, as the little girl hit the ground.

"Don't you dare touch her!" Mario called from the cage. This earned a laugh from Bowser who had turned to face him. "Or what? You'll stare at me? Junior, Begin lowering the cage!"

Mario's face turned as red as his hat, but decided to keep his mouth shut. He didn't want Bowser to harm his daughter in any way.

Junior was fixated on the girl with ocean blue eyes and golden brown hair. She looked like she was really hurt. Was this the daughter of Mario and Peach?

"Junior! Now!"

"Oh, right papa!" He called, hopping on the lever which made the ground below the cage crumble, to reveal fresh molten lava in a pit far down below.

Junior had a look of uncertainty on his face, as the little girl tried to stand up again.

"You try and stop them, or me; someone will perish." Bowser said glaring over his shoulder to Rosalina who obviously looked panicked. She had no Idea what to do. She was confronted with all of this at once. She couldn't just stand there and do nothing.

Bowser picked up Bella by the dress, and drug a claw against her cheek, drawing blood. The little girl let out a yelp in pain, which made both Queens and Mario (and even Junior) gasp in concern.

Rosalina couldn't waste any more time. He was going to kill this little girl.

Forming a sphere shaped force field, Rosalina aimed at her target and shot it full force at the Koopa king. He flew at least 10 feet away from the little girl, who now lay in fetal position on the ground.

"Junior, drop the cage!" Bowser shouted. Junior hesitated. "But, dad-"

A heavy claw shoved Junior aside, and slammed another button that sent the cage plummeting into the hole. The Princess let out a yell as she shot her hand through the bars; as if to try and reach for her daughter . Before Rosalina could even react, they _were gone_. The Queen and King of the Mushroom Kingdom were... _gone_. Rosalina felt tears instantly well up in her eyes. _"no..."_ she whimpered, collapsing to the floor. She couldn't believe what she'd just seen.

"Lets go, Junior." Bowser called to his son, who was now tearing up too. "Papa... How could you do-"

"_Junior_!" He called again, stepping on the pirate ship that was starting to sail away. Junior jumped on to it as well, still confused. He'd never agreed to ever _killing someone._.. Looking down to the scene, Junior could see Rosalina sitting on her knees, holding the blue eyed girl. She was sobbing. The ship started in an instant.

"I can't believe you..." Junior choked, looking to his father who was now steering the ship.

"What, you actually fell for that?" Bowser said back to his son who was obviously upset. Junior was confused. "What?"

"That pit was filled with fools lava. It's merely a hologram. They went into the core of the planet. We just need them to think they're gone." Bowser chuckled. Junior was unimpressed.

"_Why!?_ Why did you have to do that to them?"

The koopa king was taken back by his sons response. Bowser Jr. Was about 7 at the time. For those seven years, Jr. Had followed every order Bowser gave without any hesitation. Why was he starting to show resistance?

"So they wont come back. I finally got what I want. The Princess, and Mario in a position where he cant save her. You agreed to this plan."

"No. I agreed to myself a long time ago that i'd beat Mario. Not that I'd torture him, and make his kid watch!"

Bowser scoffed at his sons remark. "She doesn't even know that fool is her father."

"And how do you know?" Junior said back in a calmer tone.

"Because; She's his daughter. She'd have tried to do a lot more than kick my nose."

Junior still frowned at the idea. He was beginning to grow apart from his dads ideas. He didn't like kidnapping as much now that he understood exactly what he was doing. He was ruining lives for his own mutual gain, and as of now, It wasn't even his own gain. It was only for his father.

Rosalina carried the little girl back to the observatory. All the lumas crowded her, but she pushed them all aside as she made her way to the bedroom. If she had to explain to them what happened, she'd sob for weeks. She couldn't tell them; at least not right now. She never did tell the little girl that those were her parents. What was the use, now? They're gone. They've passed away.

She'd never done any memory altering magic, but to save the little girl the trauma, Rosalina insisted on it. She looked at a book she had on her bed, and read the instructions.

Bella had been knocked out from the fall, and had a large bruise on her head. Sadly, Rosalina didn't have the power to heal wounds. But maybe she had just enough to heal this emotional one.

Taking a deep breath, Rosalina placed her head on Bellatrix's forehead, and made her forget; made her forget the battle, and coming face to face with the evil monster that caused her parents to parish. A light smile spread across the face of the little princess as she let out a yawn.

Rosalina brought her hand back in an instant, as the little girl sat up. "Mama, whats wrong? You've got tears in your eyes.." She said, clutching the starbunny Rosalina had rescued.

"Oh, sorry-" Bella began, before The Queen threw her arms around the little girl. _**"You can call me Mama... I'm your mama... I'll always be here for you..." **_Rosalina croaked, as she began to sob. The little girl could do nothing but hug her mama back in confusion. From now on, Since The little girl had no parents to go to, Rosalina would take the place. And she would make sure nobody hurt the little girl; _Her little Princess._

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**I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! Sorry for it being a bit more graphic, but since the king and queen didn't really die I assumed it was okay? If not, I can change the rating. I promise the next few chapters wont be as depressing. Thank you all so much for reviewing, they really are the reason I have motivation to update. (:**


	6. Have to Be Strong

_**Hey everyone! This chapter is longer than the rest, but its also a bit rushed so please forgive me for that. I have a lack of internet, so I'm updating this on my grandparents computer. Remember that if you enjoy it, reviewing, liking, Favorite-ing, and following this story will let me know to make it a priority. I'm going to update it regardless, but the time between uploads will be rather long. I'm so sorry for that! **_

_**Thanks to reviewers: (A few Guests), enderlady5643 , TheFanficTheif101, Kittenkore, and spatterson!  
**_

_**Also a big thanks to everyone who favorited/followed this as well! I hope everyone enjoys this chapter! **_

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"Mama, why can't I go to another galaxy?" Bellatrix asked curiously, glaring off the side of the observatory at a glowing ball of light; a water typed planet in the distance.

Rosalina let out a frustrated sigh, as she set the math book she was holding down on her lap. Bella was 7 now. 3 whole years had passed since the calamity. There wasn't a day that went by where Rosalina didn't recall the incident. The event would replay itself in her mind over and over again. The cage falling, Rosalina reaching her hand out to try and stop it in some way; it had been no use. There were often days where the Queen of the Cosmos wished she could use the same mind erasing spell she used on Bella on herself, to ease the pain. She couldn't ever go through with it, though. Rosalina had to remember, even if it killed her.

"We're in the middle of a lesson, darling." Rosalina spoke.

Bella groaned, and rolled over on her back as she threw her arms to her sides. Her notepad had a few problems scribbled on the mostly blank page she was open to. Her lone purple inked pen lay a few inches away. It was very obvious that she was uninterested in today's lesson.

"Why do I need to know multiplication? _It's so stupid_!" The little girl groaned. "I'll never need to know what three times seven is!" She added with a whine.

"Well, what if three lumas had gone through seven changes of formation? How many new formations would come of that?" Rosalina said with a smirk, knowing she had the little girl at a loss for words.

Even so, being the little spitfire she was, the princess sat up and began to could silently with her fingers. It took her a few minutes to come up with an answer, but Rosalina didn't mind giving Bellatrix the satisfaction.

"_Twenty-one formations in total!_" She declared confidently, crossing her arms and sticking her nose in the air with her eyes shut; as if the problem had been obvious to her. Rosalina let out a light giggle.

"Very good, but you need to be faster than that, Bella. You must know these things to be Prin-"

"Yeah yeah, _I know_, Princess of the Cosmos." Bella agreed in defeat, setting her arms back to her lap with another groan.

Rosalina felt the guilt creep its way back into her chest. There was hardly a time anymore where she didn't have this guilty feeling. It had gotten so bad, that the queen even tried to convince herself that the King and Queen of the kingdom below hadn't actually died. She hardly ever wrote to Toadsworth lately, but when she did, the letters were always filled with lies. Ones big enough to claim Rosalina was still looking for their Rulers, with honestly, Rosalina stopped doing 3 years ago. Bella was getting older and wiser, and surely she'd pick up on the charade sooner or later. She couldn't break the news to the Mushroom Kingdom. They would _demand_ to have Bellatrix back. Peach told Rosalina to take care of her. Bella was her responsibility, wasn't she?

Bella was cooped up at the observatory all the time. The Queen of the cosmos didn't want to stir confusion by bringing another human to a galaxy whose inhabitants had only ever known 2 humans: Mario; Bella's father, and Rosalina herself.

Rosalina tried to remember herself at age 7, but all she could remember was meeting luma, who shared the same name as his species. She remembered repairing the ship, and flying around the cosmos in search for his mother. She missed him. He was a great friend to her when she needed it the most. Maybe that's what Bella needs. _A friend._ Looking back to Bellatrix, the queen realized she shouldn't fight it any longer.

"Tell you what," Rosalina began, catching the little girl's eye. Even though it was just a glare out of the corner.

"If you finish today's lesson without any more complaints, I'll take you to a new galaxy. _One that Master Mario was at_."

The little girl's eyes widened with a gasp that escaped her lips. "Really?! Like a Tour?! I'll get to explore, and see where the hero was?!" She squealed loudly, making Rosalina smile. She'd thought about erasing the storybook from Bella's mind, but the little girl loved it to much. It often seemed to be the one thing that kept Bella going on, strangely. Besides, Rosalina was already hiding the fact that he was her father.

"Let's call it a field trip."

Junior frowned, staring blankly at a cube in front of him. It was some type of machine, which was obviously not doing what it was supposed to. Bowser sat in front of him in a throne like chair, annoyance evident on his face.

"I haven't got all day, son." He said harshly. The annoyance on his face was also reflected in his growl. "I don't know why its not working all of a sudden…" The young koopa prince said back, in a begging tone. Junior didn't understand his bad luck. It had been cursing him for 3 years, but was now starting to ruin his inventions.

Bowser ran a claw through his fiery hair as he rolled his eyes. "This is the third time this week, and it's only Monday." He scowled to his son, who was obviously just as annoyed.

The koopa prince had been working on a new invention for nearly a month to help his father increase security. The camouflage sensor on the ship they flew on was working great, but Bowser feared what would happen when or if Rosalina decided to improve her system on the observatory. The box before the two still sat, inanimate on the ground. The king of the dark lands remained unimpressed. "Maybe I should get one of your siblings to give it a shot."

Junior looked down to his feet. He didn't speak, or even protest. The prince didn't know what had gotten into himself, lately. He couldn't make any functioning contraptions. He hated when his father chose a sibling over himself, especially when it came to his fathers approval. Being the youngest of his siblings, he always seemed to have to compete for everything. Even while the siblings were still at the castle, it seemed that all Junior had left in himself was to be his fathers sidekick.

"Whatever." He mumbled, tossing the remote on the ground next to the failed contraption in the center of the room. Bowser seemed un-phased by this. Junior turned around and began shuffling his feet as he walked to the stairs on the ship.

"Check on Queen Peach. Make sure she's eaten her dinner. She refused to sit at the table again." Bowser called to his son who was now leaving the room. Junior didn't respond, but followed his father's instruction. A year ago, Peach had tried to starve herself as a way to let the ruler of the dark lands set her free, so she could get help and save Mario.

This plan worked extremely well, until Bowser found out she wasn't eating and ground up vitamins in her water which was the only thing the princess would touch. Noticing her health coming back, the Queen soon stopped trying to escape. She kind of just accepted her fate.

Walking down the hall, Junior came across a room with a plaque nailed on the front. It read "Princess Suite."

This room had existed since Peach was a princess. Junior could remember memories of his father painting it, and choosing all of the decoration. Bowser had lately tried to hide how in love he was with Peach due to her marriage to Mario. Even though the thought made the King sick.

Even if the title of the room had been updated to "Queen Suite", it still wouldn't have done the room in itself justice. Opening the door, Junior's eyes were met with the familiar and welcoming room. It was far to lavish for even royalty. The walls were a pastel pink with white trimming. Blue, Red, Yellow, and Gold were accent colors that were marked on artwork of roses that hung on the walls. Bowser had used actual gold from coins that he melted down to paint the gold accents. Junior's father put his heart and soul into recreating the ideal room for the woman he loved.

While admiring the walls, Juniors eyes were stopped when they had been met with Queen Peach, who was looking at him through a large dresser-top mirror. She had been brushing her golden blonde hair, and stopped abruptly at the sight. A large smile crossed her face as she realized who it was.

She wore a pink nightgown that went just above her knees. It had a darker pink colored silk ribbon that was tied around her waist loosely, but enough to show the Queens figure (which she still maintained after all these years). A real lone blue gem was sewn to the chest. It resembled her old evening gown she wore all the time as a princess.

The bed that sat beside the dresser lacked most of the original comforter that was originally placed there for her. All that was left on it was a single pillow with what looked like 2 sheets. Her cushy comforter had gone 'missing' along with the rest of her pillows. Junior knew very well what had happened to them.

Even though Peach and Mario were forced to be kept apart, Junior always helped Peach sneak down to the cell Mario was held in. She was indeed the king and generous Queen her kingdom claimed she was. She'd brought down nearly her entire bed, and almost everything she'd been given to eat on the days she'd visit. It was clear that even a tragedy such as being held against their will, and loosing the chance to see their daughter grow up, was only a mere bump in the road compared to the love they shared. Peach stood up, and turned to face the 10 year old Prince.

"Junior! I have something to ask of you." She asked happily. Junior already knew what she wanted to do.

"You want to see Mario again, right?" He said back with a half smile. The queen sensed that the koopa prince had a bad day. The look on her face changed as she walked closer to Junior and crouched down to his height. "Is something wrong?" She asked sweetly. The koopa would normally scowl and shove away anyone who asked that question. But there was something sweet, honest, gentle, and caring about Peach that made Junior give in and confess.

"I failed to create another operating invention again today." He admitted, eyes falling to the floor in embarrassment. His heart sank slowly.

"Oh, darling…" She said again, placing her hand softly on Juniors shoulder. She would have given him a hug if she wasn't afraid of being impaled on a spike. Junior loved this about the Queen. She gave him an affectionate side that his father wouldn't ever reveal to the public. Bowser couldn't show any weakness. In a way, Junior understood but felt so hurt that his father was stuck in his ways.

"I'm sure you've just been really stressed lately. It's just a fluke. You're so smart, I can't imagine it being anything else beyond bad luck." She added.

Junior let an involuntary smile show through his sad face as he looked up to the queen. He wrapped his arms around her waist, hugging her tightly. Peach giggled, and stood back up. A silent minute passed before Junior finally let the Queen go. Peach knew she'd cheered him up. Maybe that was way his father wanted to marry her. She always knew how to make people feel better.

"I'll take you down." He smiled. Peach returned it, before rushing to her large walk in closet. She came back out with a plate of something Junior didn't recognize, and what looked like a slice of cake. The young koopa wondered where she got the cake from, as he didn't recall there being any cake in the kitchen. Otherwise the prince would have eaten every last bite.

Peach put on a jacket, and some shoes other than heels. She stood finally with the the two plates in each hand. "Let's go," Junior said with a smile.

The duo rushed down the hall on light feet, not wanting to make too much noise. Junior knew that his father had ultra-sonic hearing. Just one light creak of a floorboard was enough to get the koopa king searching for a source. They turned down a hall and came to a right turn. Peeking around the corner, he noticed 2 hammer bros guarding the 'dungeon' floor. There was nobody else in any of the cells besides Mario, but Bowser knew Mario all to well. So did Peach and Junior, and they couldn't really blame him. With All the times Mario's beaten Bowser, it would foolish not to understand. Junior let out a sigh in frustration. He looked over his shoulder, back to the Queen.

"Plan B." He whispered. Due to the countless times they've been down here, Peach knew very well what to do. She rushed into a supply closet, and shut the door softly behind her. Junior then thought of a different excuse to get the brothers rushing back up to the main deck. He'd usually just tell them a bogus story about how his father was upset with them and requested them immediately. That usually did the trick, but it probably wouldn't work again. Especially when Bowser gave them Hell for it.

"Hey! You there!" Junior called, gaining the guards attention. Once they realized Junior was the one before them they both scowled. "Buzz off, Kid. You've gotten us in enough trouble." The one closest to the prince said though gritted teeth. "Yeah, your dad didn't even need us!" The other one added, receiving a smack on the back of the head from his brother. "Duh, you idiot!" he said.

"But this in an emergency! Queen Peach had a heart attack on the top deck while having dinner with dad! She needs a medically trained duo!" He added, using his theatrics. The two looked at each other wide eyed, and then began to bolt down the hallway. "We're coming, your highness!" They shouted, as it echoed through the wooded halls.

"Heh, idiots." Junior laughed. He knocked softly three times on the supply closet Peach hid in, signaling her that the cost was clear. The pair walked down to cell 1, while Peach hung further back. Even though she did it often, she wanted seeing her husband to be a surprise.

Stepping in front of Cell 1, Junior was confused by what he saw. Mario was in an extremely panicked state, gripping the bars of the cell. He looked like he could rip the bars off their hinges. Even though he was small, Mario probably could manage.

"Is she okay!?" Mario asked frantically, staring Junior directly into the eye. "Who?" Junior said, being curious. "Peach… Is she okay?!" He said again. Junior gave the red clad man a smirk. 'Cant believe he fell for that.' He thought to himself.

"Why don't you ask her yourself?" Junior said as a smile came across his face. He stepped to the side, to make room for the Queen who stepped into Mario's View. A ridiculously large smile spread across Mario's face. "Hi, honey." Peach cooed sweetly.

"Peach… My sweet Peach." He said with relief that his wide was unharmed. Mario admired her beauty for a brief moment before the Queen pressed her lips against Mario's through the bars that separated the two. It warmed Juniors heart to see that love was really stronger than any force himself or his father could conjure up. The Koopa prince wondered what it was like to be in love.

The two separated their kiss, as Junior unlocked the cage between the two, and let Peach inside. The Prince had often thought about just letting Mario go, despite his previous hatred for him. It dulled down once Junior realized that they were putting him through hell. They always had, and Junior didn't really even know why. Besides, his father would be beyond furious. He might even consider death as punishment. The cell bars slid to the side with a light clank as the Queen rushed passed the Koopa into her husband's arms. Mario hugged her tightly again, savoring the moment before the two separated once more.

"Oh! I brought some food!" Peach spoke, wiping happy tears from her eyes. She was beyond happy to see her husband again. Mario smiled with a light laugh, and began to shake his head.

"Darling, you know they do feed me down here. Even though its not much, it's enough. You need to eat, as well. You're far more important." He said, holding his hands out as if to push the food away. The queen took the top off of the plate she held, revealing a steaming hot plate of amazing smelling pasta. The king's eyes grew wide as he inhaled the scent of his favorite dish. Not only was it pasta, but it was cooked in a very special way that his mother used to make it. It was the same way Peach made it. As if she needed anything else to make her more desirable, she had her cooking skills which were beyond those of anyone either Mario or Junior knew. The king stared at the plate, as he let out a chuckle of astonishment.

"How did you do this?" He said, looking back up to his wife who was still trying to hand over the food. She let out a giggle, as Mario finally accepted. I mean, how could he decline his favorite dish?

"I snuck down into the kitchen at night. I thought I'd make you a special dinner for your birthday." She spoke with a smile. Mario returned it, and gave his wife another kiss. "This is beyond anything I could have asked for. Thank you."

Junior stood admiring the scene, until he realized how awkward it must have been that he was just watching them from outside the cell. "I'll give you two some privacy." Junior said with a nervous chuckle, walking to the corner as he kept watch. The two in the cell simply smiled and looked back to each other.

"The only that could make it any better is if…" Mario began. He stopped himself as he looked up from his pasta. Tears began forming in his eyes, and Peach knew exactly what he was talking about. She was about to tear up at the thought to. In fact, the only reason Peach hadn't broken down yet is because she knew Rosalina, and she knew Rosalina was taking excellent care of their daughter. The Queen reached behind her, and grabbed the plate with the piece of cake on it, and brought it between the two.

Mario looked at it as a single tear trailed down his cheek. He smiled again. "The cake we made for her on her first birthday." He said, recalling the memory. Peach teared up too, but dried her face with the sleeve of her jacket before Mario could notice. "It's like a piece of her is here with us." Peach said, with a crack in her voice. Mario smiled, and with a gloved hand, wiped a tear from his wife's now red eyes.

"You know, seeing her 3 years ago gave me the courage to keep going. To keep being strong." Mario spoke, looking at Peach adoringly. She smiled at his gesture. "Me too."

"Lets be strong for her together. If we do that, we will all three be just fine. We will be back to the castle before you know it." He said with a smile, one last tear falling down his cheek. It was the truth. As long as he had something outside of the ship to fight for, they wouldn't give up. They simply couldn't. Not if they wanted to see their child again.

Junior who was listening to the entire conversation outside the cell, felt himself tear up too. He couldn't believe the pain his father and himself had caused the couple. Junior didn't understand, and probably never would until he had children of his own. It was a very strong feeling that made Juniors heart sink. He was done with being this criminal. He didn't want to be this type of koopa. Just because his heart hurt, didn't mean his father could force it upon others. He had to get away from the ship to distance himself for a while. It was all he could do to not loose his mind.

"Wow…" Bella gasped, as her eyes met a small, yet spacious planet that Rosalina was lowering the observatory down too. It was grassy, and had three or four star bunnies on it. The sparkled with excitement, as they noticed Bellatrix coming down to play with them. Rosalina smiled at the little girls excitement. She rose her wand in the air, and wove it in a circular motion. This action lifted the two girls off of the observatory, surrounding them with a purple force field.

The little princess giggled wildly once more at the magic Rosalina could conjure. They landed on the planet, as gravity pulled them to the soil. With a light flick of the wrist, the purple force field transformed into stardust that fell on to the princess's skin and twinkled in her hair. "That's so cool, Mama!" She squealed. Rosalina took note of this. It was something incredibly simple that made the little girl so very happy.

"It's Bella! And Mama!" The starbunnies spoke in unison, turning onto lumas and chirping as they gave Bella the biggest hugs they could muster with hardly any arms. Bella giggled in response and hugged them back, and touched one on the head. "Tag! You're it!" She hollered, rushing off to the other side of the planet. Rosalina smiled, and watched as Bella ran off, with 3 fast starbunnies bouncing behind her playfully. Loud shrieks of excitement sounded, as the little princess was tagged by a luma. She rushed around trying to find someone to tag, but everyone was hiding. She scrunched her nose in frustration. She wasn't giving up, though.

Rosalina turned her head to the little house on the planet. It was small, and blue. It was the home Rosalina had originally stayed in before her and Luma built the observatory together. She walked inside, remembering all the memories she'd made for herself in there. She remembered clutching the stuffed starbunny she had with all her might, which was now Bellatrix's. She remembers crying herself to sleep, and how Luma would comfort her. The Queen was so lost in her memories, she began to drown the sounds of Bella out, and all she was left with was her memories.

"Come on guys, no fair!" Bella whined, slouching with her arms dangling below her chest as she sulked, still looking for her competitors. She heard snickering, and dashed to the sound. "I've got you-" She began, as she jumped from behind a bush expecting to see a luma or a starbunny. Instead, she was greeted with a orange star shaped thing. Bella was unsure as to what it was. It rotated weakly, and levitated in mid air. Being the curious child the princess was, she walked up to it slowly, reaching a hand out. The star began to rotate faster and faster, with the closer Bellatrix got to it.

It eventually pulled her off the ground, until she was hovering inside of it. "What?" She said to herself, hearing a humming twinkle as the star spun. She grunted lightly, as she tried to get out of it. Instead, it shot her 12 feet into the air, causing Bellatrix to shriek. She hit the ground lightly, and peered one eye open. This was a completely different planet than she was previously standing on. It was warmer, and had sand and water. Looking overhead, Bella saw the planet she was just on. She sighed in relief that she wasn't too far from home, or her mother. She couldn't help but giggle, as the starbunnies came out of their hiding spaces, and looked at each other trying to find Bella.

She turned around, and made her way to the water. She thought it would be funny to grab some water, and then splash them with it. Not to mention, she was really hot. She giggled lightly, as she skipped to the beachy area where the water was. But instead of water, she gasped as she saw a spiked shell sitting on a log on the sandy beach. It was small, so it couldn't have been the big evil koopa from her storybook. She smiled, and thought maybe they could be her friend, whoever they were. They looked lonely.

The little princess snuck up behind the koopa in a bush. She was very stealthy. Rosalina often had a hard time finding the little girl. "Tag!" She giggled, tapping the koopa on the back of the shell, as she ran a few feet away. The koopa gasped, and fell off of the log backwards with a yelp catching Bella's attention.

"Oh! I'm sorry!" She shouted, running up to the koopa who fell off and was now trying to get up. "What's wrong with you!? You scared me half to de-" He began, dusting himself off. He stopped as he stared into her deep ocean blue eyes. They were all too familiar to him. Not to mention she was a human. What was a human doing in space?

"Hey, do I know you?" He asked again, curiously. He squinted his eyes, trying to get a better look at the human girl in front of him. She tilted her head to the side. "I don't think so. I don't know that many koopas." She said with a giggle. She didn't know anyone besides the lumas, let alone a koopa. "What's your name?" She asked with another smile.

Normally, he'd give out a fake name, but something about her reminded him of someone he knew.

"Call me Junior." He said, still with a firm look of curiosity.

"Hiya, Junior. I'm Bellatrix!" She said, putting a hand out. Junior was still wondering about this girl. Why isn't she running away with fear? Junior was a koopa. Koopas and humans didn't get along. There was obviously something strange going on. He held up a claw, and examined it before he gently returned the handshake Bella offered.

She laughed again, before a twinkle of a spike caught her eye. "Wow, those are so cool!" She said, examining his wrist cuffs further. Junior was again shocked by this girl. Girls liked this kind of stuff? He knew Queen Peach didn't. At least, he didn't think she did.

Junior let out a small laugh. "You're weird." He said. Bellatrix looked up with a grumpy look on her face. "Am not!" She shouted back, crossing her arms, and turning slightly so she wasn't facing him. "Sure you are. You're a human girl and you don't mind koopas or spikes." He said with a smile on his face, though he was still very curious. She let her arms sink to her sides.

"Well, just because you're a koopa doesn't mean you're a mean one…"

Who raised this girl? Junior couldn't believe what he was hearing.

"And spikes are creepy, but I mean its not like those bracelets are weapons." She said again. Junior blushed a bit when she called them bracelets.

"They're _not_ bracelets, they're cuffs." He said, giving her the same type of grumpy glare she originally gave him. "Whatever" She said.

He gave the ground a pouty look. Bella did the same thing when she was upset, so she knew exactly what it meant.

"Whats wrong, Junior?" She asked seriously. He looked up to her and then shook his head. "Nothings wrong, weirdo!" He shouted. Bella didn't let this effect her. She was still persistent. "You look sad." She said again, looking at him with sensitive eyes. They were the same type the Queen Peach had. The kind that made him give her an apologetic look as he sighed. "I've had a bad day." He admitted, looking up to her as his head sunk down.

"It's ok. My mama always says that because today's bad, it means that tomorrow can only be better!" She said with a smile. Strange enough, this cheered Junior up. He gave her a smile which made her blush. He still couldn't shake the familiarity of this girl. 'Besides being a weirdo, she's really cute. Especially when she smiles...' He thought, finding himself staring at the girl.

She walked up to him slowly and tapped his shoulder once more. He looked at her with confusion. "_Tag_, you're it!" She said again, rushing around the planet. He rolled his eyes and thought he would amuse her. It was the first time he'd played tag in years.


	7. A New Power

**Thank you so much to Reviewers Elemental Queen, loic-heitzmann.2001, and a Guest : Will. It really means a lot to get thoughtful reviews! Also another thanks to those who added me to their favorites this past chapter. As I mentioned before, it really does mean a lot and it helps me get motivated!**

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Rosalina yawned, as she sat up from her dark blue canopy bed. She stretched silently, eyes still feeling heavy. She was up very late last night, but being tired _couldn't_ be an option. The Queen shook her head, trying to wake herself up. She couldn't be drowsy today of all days. _Today was Bellatrix's 10th birthday_.

Even though Rosalina almost entirely stopped writing Toadsworth, a while back into their messages he'd told the queen that the little girls birthday was in the summer; _June 15th_ to be exact. This was indeed, today. Well, it was in the Mushroom kingdom, at least.

Bellatrix finally reached double digits today. It was only a matter of time until the little girl grow up into a teenager. Reading books on humans, Rosalina wasn't quite looking forward to a rebellious stage that was said to come along. Thinking back to herself at age 14, she couldn't see herself acting out much. It wasn't like she had anyone to sass off too. She shook her head again, erasing the thoughts from her mind. She'd always do that to herself; think of one thing and then it led to something completely unrelated, and typically completely depressing.

Today was a day of joy, and Rosalina wasn't going to let anything get in the way of it.

Part of Bella reaching age 10, included a very special ceremony in the Mushroom Kingdom (Or so the lore said. She was unaware if the customs were still acted upon today). The books she'd read on the topic said that it was somewhat of a _'coronation'_ to being a princess. Sure, she was born a princess, but reaching the age of 10 gave the girl new opportunities. She could host events, such as parties and gatherings. She now had say in laws that were to be passed; Though they weren't huge, her voice still counted as an opinion at age 10.

Rosalina didn't necessarily have a 'kingdom' to rule over, therefore there were no laws or important rules set into place. Everyone just kind of did their own thing in space. Over the 3 years since she was first introduced to a new location, the little princess's hunger for adventure only grew stronger and stronger. She was defiantly her fathers child.

She's been to almost every galaxy (except the dangerous ones that were either to scary, or had many hazardous things in it) and along with such adventure came new friendships. She was friends with a lot of the galaxies inhabitants. They were all very sad to hear the news of Mario and his special one, but at the same time were very understanding of the situation and treated Bella as if she was one of their own kind. She was a very happy little girl.

Even though the little princess always seemed to want adventure, she also loved art; specifically painting. It was the one thing she loved more than anything, besides her starbunny and a day filled with exploration. Rosalina would occasionally get her a canvas and some paint from a galaxy that made such things, and the artwork she created was always beautiful. Maybe it was the motherly side coming out of Rosalina, but she couldn't help but be amazed every time Bella finished a piece. She was only 7 at the time she started, how could she be so talented already?

Rosalina turned her legs to the right, as they dangled off of the side of her bed she was still sitting on. She looked at the smaller twin sized bed beside her, which contained Bellatrix. She was sleeping so soundly, that the last thing the Queen wanted to do was disturb her. She held on to the starbunny as her face lay motionless behind its ears. Rosalina used to sleep the same way.

The queen decided to not wake her up just yet. After all, she still had preparing to do. She made her way into the darkened bathroom, and shut the door before turning on the lights.

_"Ack…"_ Rosalina scowled, covering her eyes as she went temporarily blind from the change in lighting. Blinking a few times, she noticed her reflection in the mirror. Her hair was a disheveled mess, and her eyes definitely showed how tired she really was. She jumped into the shower, hoping that would wake her up.

After she stepped out, she walked to the counter and grabbed a brush and began to comb her platinum blonde hair. The bags under her eyes had vanished, and her hair was beginning to fall into place. The shower did the trick.

She put her favorite blue dress on along with heels, and floated out of the bedroom. Bella was still fast asleep. Rosalina let out a sigh of relief as she began walking around the observatory. Her eyes were met with happy lumas, humming and twinkling as they hung streamers and tied balloons to whatever they could. They all gave their mama a tiny wave before returning to their previous activities.

The observatory was obviously about to have a party. If you couldn't tell by the decoration, you could tell by the feeling in the air; the energy that everyone was giving off. Still, looking around, Rosalina couldn't help but feel like something was missing.

"Mama! We got the presents all set up!" A blue luma squealed, floating next to the Queen. She motioned towards the group of lumas floating near a pile of wrapped gifts. Rosalina smiled. "Nicely done."

"Thank you, Mama!" He said again, twirling in the air as she fed him a starbit. "Mmm, Starbits. It's too bad we aren't making a starbit cake this year." He added. The queens eyes widened. "Oh no! That's what I forgot! How could I be so stupid?!" The queen mumbled under her breath as she flew away from the blue luma who was left with a look of confusion.

She flew up the stairs to the kitchen and then made her way inside. She was greeted by 3 lumas who were putting starbits into bowls, occasionally sneaking one into their mouths. "Hi mama!" They all three said in unison.

She would have normally returned the smile, but she was in a rush. The queen dashed down to a cupboard and grabbed a pan, and a bowl. The lumas all looked very confused. "What are you making, Mama?"

She looked at them, and stopped for a minute as she processed the question. "Baking a starbit cake for Bella."

They all gasped with glee, and gave each other high fives. They were all big fans of Rosalinas Starbit cake. It was sweet, spongy and moist. Best of all, it tasted like starbits.

The Queen created the recipe herself when she wanted to bake a cake, but had no sugar;_ she substituted with starbits._ The rare desert has been a hit since.

"We can help, Mama!" They all said, finishing with nods as they were agreeing with each other. The queen smiled. "I'd love that, thank you."

The Lumas preheated the oven to 350, and began to get out ingredients that Rosalina requested. She needed Eggs, Flour, Milk, Baking powder, salt, butter, and of course Starbits.

The 3 lumas watched in awe as their mother began to combine ingredients. She grabbed a spoon, and began to mix the batter together. All of the lumas floated above her, and watched as she mixed. They were all so tempted to take the spoon from her hands just so they could have a taste.

Rosalina smirked as she looked up to them who seemed to not notice anything besides the queens mixing. She poured the batter into the pan she'd set out, and the put the pan into the oven. The lumas eyes didn't leave contact until the oven door shut, sending a wave of hot air into their faces. They let out sighs in disappointment.

The queen giggled as she took a batter covered spoon from behind her back. The Lumas gasped as their eyes widened.

"Who wants to lick the spoon?"

"Open mine next!" A starbunny asked, hopping onto the princesses lap. She giggled as she gave him a hug just as she would her starbunny (that was still slumped against her waist).

Bellatrix had her typical evening dress on. It was freshly washed, and was a bright white. The little girl had her hair still tousled, but with a little barrette clipping the bangs out of her face. She had a smile as wide as the ocean on earth, and she was glowing. It was obvious it was her day.

"Okay, Okay!" The little girl giggled, grabbing the blue wrapped gift that the starbunny had motioned towards. The crowd of Lumas watched as Bella began to tear open the wrapping, with no regard of neatness. Her eyes grew wide, as the smile on her face grew even wider.

"A new paintbrush!" She squealed, as everyone on the observatory chatted in agreement with her present.

"Thank you so much!" She squealed again, hugging the starbunny so tight he felt like he was going to explode. She let him go, and he hobbled off of the princesses lap. She threw the paintbrush into her satchel (which was also a new present this year) and smiled.

"It goes along with my gift." Rosalina said, sitting up from the rocking chair she normally held in the library. All of the lumas chattered with excitement. Rosalina always got the best gift for Bellatrix, and even though it wasn't for the lumas, they still got excited for the little princess. _"What could it be this year?!" "I bet it's something super cute!"_ They whispered among themselves.

The little girl stared up at Rosalina with eyes filled with amazement. It was as if she was asking permission to open her gift. "Go on." She said with a laugh, as Bella got up and ran to the package that was wrapped in red. She tore through the paper in mere seconds as her eyes were filled with wonder yet again. "Oh Wow!" She said, almost not believing what was in front of her. It was a set of 10 canvases, all with brand new paint. It also came with an easel, so the princess could do her art in other places; in case she needed inspiration.

The lumas gasped and cheered. They all loved Bellas artwork too. Their minds began to fill with thoughts of what she could create.

The little girl ran up to Rosalina. It was just like the dream she'd had years ago, except that she ran right into her arms. There was no mistaking that Rosalina was who Bella was aiming for. "Thank you so much, Mommy." She said into Rosalinas dress. Bella was very polite and grateful, even though she wasn't very poised.

"I'm sorry I couldn't get you the kind you asked for. They only have it in on Earth, and it costed an astronomical amo-"

The little girl giggled, interrupting her mother. "I love these. It's more than okay."

Rosalina smiled. The little girl was so kind. She probably wouldn't have complained if she didn't get anything. Rosalina was very happy that she didn't have to go through the whiny 'I want that' stage in childhood. "I've got two other gifts for you, but They're a secret." She replied. Bellas eyes widened again. As if she didn't already have the best birthday ever!

Rosalina led the little girl to their shared bedroom. "Now, close your eyes." The queen instructed. Bellatrix went along, and squinted her eyes shut with a wrinkle of the nose. Rosalina let out a giggle, as she floated backwards into the bedroom, holding the curtain open as the pair walked through.

"Okay, Open up!"

The little girl opened her eyes, and began to blink. She couldn't believe what she was seeing in front of her. It was a brand new dress, with pink and red flowers on the trim. It was the prettiest thing the little princess had ever seen. She let out a gasp as she walked towards in in amazement. "Is this... for me?" She asked, in pure disbelief. This gained another smile from the queen.

"I don't think it quite fits me," She joked, holding the obviously small dress up in front of her. Bellatrix finally realized that the dress was indeed hers, and let out a shrill yelp in satisfaction. She began to slide it over the one she already had on, slipping her previous one off all at the same time. Pulling her arms through the holes, and letting the shoulders slide to the side she tried to zip herself up. She let out a few grunts in frustration.

"Here, I've got it." Rosalina said, as she floated down to the little girls height. She turned in a flash, as Rosalina zipped her dress up. Bella twirled with a few giggles as she admired herself in it. Rosalina smiled, as it was inspired by a dream she'd had a few years ago. She looked just as adorable now as she did back then.

Looking into the full body mirror that was beside their beds, the little girl made various faces. She ended up making one that made herself and the queen burst into laughter.

"This is the best birthday ever!" She said, catching her breath, and skipping up to the queen. There was still one gift left that Rosalina wanted to give to Bellatrix. It was something the Queen knew the little princess would really love; even more than all of her other gifts.

"That's not all."

Bellatrix froze on the spot, and stared wide-eyed at the queen. _What did she mean by that's not all? What more had the little girl asked for?_

"Hold out your hands." Rosalina said with a smile, looking down to the little girl. She was obedient, and followed her Mamas instruction just as she'd done before. Rosalina rested her hands on top of Bellas, which were facing upward. Bellatrix couldn't take her eyes off of the scene. What was this gift? What more could she be getting?

Rosalina let out a deep breath, and Her hands began to glow. The glow illuminated a purple aura on to the princesses face, who whispered a light 'wow'. She didn't feel anything, besides a little shock. Then it was over. Rosalina opened her eyes, to see Bella holding her hand, and rubbing it with the other. She had a pouty look in her eye. "My gift was a shock?"

Rosalina giggled. "No. Hold your hands out, and imagine a wall in front of you." The queen spoke, being very informative but also very vague. What was this going to do?

Being skeptical, the little girl rose her hands, and imagined a wall. Suddenly, a purple sparkle came from her hands, and a wall stood about 7 feet high in front of her. The little girl dropped her hands to her sides in shock, as the force field turned into stardust; the same way her mothers did.

"You gave me... Powers?" The little girl questioned, looking a mixture of frightened and ecstatic. The queen merely nodded with a smile. "As the Princess, you need to have them. It's mandatory." Rosalina lied. There had been no customs of royalty set into place for space, but the little girl bought into it. She threw her hands in front of her again, trying the magic once more. When it gave her the same result, the princess knew Rosalina wasn't lying; she now had magic powers!

The one thing Rosalina had that made Bella happier than ever was her magic, and now Bellatrix had the power at her fingertips; literally. She was beyond excited, and new exactly what she wanted to do now. She had to show it to Junior.

"Hey, mama?" Bella asked, with big sweet eyes. Rosalina stared back into them. "Yes, my love?"

"Would it be okay if I went to galaxy one again? I promised my friend I'd go." She said. Rosalina had no idea who her friend was, but all she knew was that she'd been hanging out with them all the time. It was nearly every day that she wanted to go adventure with them. Rosalina didn't get in the way of it; she didn't want to ruin one of the main friendships Bellatrix had. According to the human books, Socialization was necessary for humans her age.

It was her birthday, after all. How could she say no?

"Of course, darling." Rosalina responded. The little girl smiled wildly, as she created another force field, knocking a photo off of the wall. "Sorry..." She whispered.

_"Junior! Junior!"_

The lonely koopas eyes widened and his heart grew warm at the sound of his voice being called by the girl he'd grown very fond. He slid off of the bench he'd been waiting for her at, and went over to the source of the sound. He had a large box, wrapped messily with newspaper and a flower taped to the front.

"Bella? Where are you?" He called, still searching for the girl. "Boo!" She called, jumping out of a bush, casing Junior to yell softly and then blush. She always scared him, when it should have been the opposite. "Here I am, silly." She giggled, rocking back and forth on her heels. She wore a brand new dress that the koopa prince noticed instantly. She looked beautiful in it. Junior couldn't help but ignore his frustration when he saw her smile.

He stared at her for a moment in silence, before realizing no words had been spoke for a minute or two.

"I got you something!" He said, handing her the messily wrapped box Junior was lugging around. The little girl looked at it with the same amount of wonder as she had all of the other gifts she'd gotten that day.

She sat down on the grassy surface of the planet, and ripped the flower off of the top of the package and stuck it in her hair. Junior smiled at her, as she continued to rip at the box. She finally opened it, and her eyes went as wide as saucers. "OH MY GOSH!" She yelled, standing up, and reaching her hands into the box before her. She pulled out the expensive paint her mother couldn't get for her. "How did you -"

"I know a guy." He said, as he blushed. It made him so happy to see her enjoy the gift he'd gotten her, even though it was obvious that's what she wanted. She'd talk about her artwork, and the types of paints she wanted every day they hung out. He would be an idiot to not pick up on the hint.

She ran up to the koopa, and threw her arms around him. He was taken aback by this, but hugged her back. His face got hot, and he could feel his cheeks get red. This was the first time they'd ever hugged, and Junior loved every second of it.

"Thank you so much." She said with a sincere smile. They stared at each other again for a short second, before Bella remembered what she wanted to tell Junior.

"Look what I got for my birthday!" She said, as she lifted her hands, and created a force field in front of herself. Junior was shocked by this. He'd only ever seen one other human do that before; it was Rosalina. Was this just a thing all humans could do that were from space? Come to think of it, Bella never told Junior where she lived. He shook the thought. 'There's no way...' He convinced himself silently.

"How did you get that?" He asked, studying the force field she made, as it vanished into stardust.

"Mama gave it to me.." She said again, staring at her hands. She still couldn't believe she had this wonderful power. Junior couldn't either. But he felt more convinced she didn't know Rosalina when she said 'Mama'. Rosalina doesn't have any children, there's no way this is her child.

"Hey, can you make that field into different shapes?" He asked curiously. Bella stared at him. "Well... I haven't tried." She said, looking back to her hands once more. She had just gotten her power 3 hours ago during her party. Was there more she could do with it?

"Try and make a sword!" He said with a smile on his face. "We could sword fight!" He added, taking a flimsy (yet real) sword from his shell. Bella smiled at the idea. "Okay!" She agreed, as she shut her eyes and pictured a sword in her mind. Holding her hands to her side, she began to feel something materialize into her right palm. She heard Junior gasp. "Awesome!"

She opened her eyes, ans stared down to the large weapon she'd just created. It was the same color as the force fields, and twinkled with stardust. There was no identification as to where the blade started and the handle started. It looked like a shadow of a pirates sword, cast into a 3-D object in her hands. She couldn't believe it, and she held it upwards to get a better look.

Junior jumped closer to her, and struck his sword through the little girls (though it was probably because the little girl got frightened at his sudden movement and made the sword disappear herself). And it turned into stardust. _"Tag, you're it."_ He said with a smirk. The princess giggled and created her sword again, and began to play with her best friend. It was indeed the best birthday she'd ever had.

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**Hi again! I just wanted to ask for your forgiveness. I rushed this chapter (yet again) because Its been a while and It still wasn't halfway finished. I finished it in one sitting, and It got to the point where I was writing because I wanted to wrap it up instead of it being my best. Please forgive that. Reviews are appreciated! Thank you!**


	8. First Name Basis

**Hello! Once again, I'd like to take a quick minute to appreciate the reviewers of last chapter: belemcillaj, Willis, and Mobifunk9. Even though I'm not a huge fan of my latest chapter, it still means a lot to get reviews (even if it is for an earlier chapter. Its all still motivation).**

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Bella hit the sandy ground hard with a grunt, as all of the air was forced from her lungs. The sand was hot, and molded to fit her shape as she rest in its warmth. It felt good to take a break. She felt like she could lay there for hours, if she was allowed. She heard Juniors unmistakable laugh coming from behind her. "_Nice try_." He said again, the sound of him swinging his sword eminent as he twirled it through the air. She heard it clang as it had been stopped by his cuff in mid swing.

The tired Bella turned over on to her back, as the air flooded itself back into her lungs. She could feel her heartbeat in her temples. As her chest rose and fell, it became obvious that she was tuckered out. She didn't look at Junior, just straight above to the planet with a little blue house on it above. The first actual Planet she was allowed on. A sling star twirled weakly above her on the planet.

"You'd think you'd be better at sword fighting by now. I mean, _It's been 6 whole years_." Junior said again with a triumphant laugh.

Juniors cocky smirk fell from his face when he realized Bella wasn't jumping right back up as she usually would, or slapping him in the face for being cocky. She didn't typically win at sword fights, but she was always one to never give up. It reminded him of someone, but he forgot who.

"Is... Is something wrong?" He said, eyes meeting hers even though she payed them no mind. She let out a grunt, as she pushed her torso up off the ground, and held herself up by her elbows. A piece of her golden brown hair fell between her eyes as she blew it away in frustration. She looked up to Junior who had a look of concern on his face. His dark orange hair was blowing in the soft breeze that gave Bella goosebumps, but felt great at the same time. He payed no attention to the wind, and kept deep eye contact with her. It made the teenagers heart rise into her throat, and her stomach tickle.

"I cant believe I lost... _Again_." She groaned with an eye roll. Juniors smile returned to his face as he realized Bella wasn't in any real distress. She threw her arms to her sides, and fell flat on her back again, as her eyes were met once more with the planet above; the one she'd had lots of memories of. She wondered where her mother was. She was probably in another Galaxy; she did say she had an errand to run. Her thoughts were broken by a deep grunt, and the movement of sand. Picking her head up, she saw Junior staring at her with his eyes half mast. He had a smile on his face though, so he wasn't staring at her in annoyance. He was hardly ever annoyed with her.

"It's because you don't stratigize," He began. Bella sat up, and stared at the prince with confusion. "You just swing aimlessly, and hope for the best."

Bellas nose scrunched up, as she furrowed her brows. She opened her mouth to make a smart comeback, but nothing came out. He was right. She didn't really put much thought into the actual fight. She felt that if you swung hard enough, anything could break or grip could be lost. She was unaware that angles and hitting the sword in certain areas did indeed have an effect on the fighter. Bella rolled her eyes again, and looked off to the left out of the corner of her eyes. "Believe me, I have a target." She mumbled loud enough for the koopa to hear. He smiled._ 'There she is,' _he thought, noticing her witty remark.

"I've noticed incidences where during a duel, you don't even have your _eyes open_." He said with a light laugh. She looked back to him, brow still furrowed. "Well then how do _you _do it?" She said, expecting him to not have an answer. He stood up and dusted the sand off of himself.

He gave her another smirk, as he lifted his sword. "I count to 4." He said with confidence. Bellas confused glare returned as she stared at him. "You count to 4? _What does that even mean_?" She asked. Junior looked to her as the goofy smile spread across his face yet again. "Let me show you."

He lowered a claw, and Bella accepted it still confused._ ' What could he possibly mean by that? I can count to four, and It doesn't help me any.' _Bella thought to herself, examining Juniors cocky gaze that she would normally smack off his face. When they first met, he'd put his bandanna (with a badly drawn fierce growl) over his mouth to look tough, but now all it seemed he needed to do was to flash Bella that cocky smile to get her going. The bandanna was now tied around his right bicep. Bellatrix stared at it, as she felt her legs rise from the sand, and stand up straight. The sound of the ambient breeze swept through her hair, as she found herself staring at the koopa. She shook her head as she blushed.

He stared at her, waiting for her to draw her sword. "Oh! Right." She said, shaking her head once more. She didn't have to shut her eyes anymore to draw her sword, she just had to throw her hand to her side, and imagine holding it and it would build itself in her palm. She'd been doing this ever since she was 10, and now she's 16. When this and painting were her only hobbies, she became excellent at both.

It twinkled and sparked as stardust fell from it in her right hand. It had the same purple hue as her mothers. It hardy weighed anything compared to an actual sword, but it could do just as much damage.

"Ready?" He said, smirk still on his face as he got into a fighting stance. Bella gave him a smirk back, as she imagined the satisfaction of beating him while he was at his peak of cockiness. She didn't say a word, but let out a laugh through clenched teeth as she lunged at him. He quickly dodged it with a spin.

** "One for the money," **He said loudly as he blocked and moved out of the way of Bella's field. Bella's eyes widened._ 'What is he talking about?' _She thought, as she let out a growl and slammed it to the left where Junior had been standing.

** "Two for the show," **He said again, jumping out of the way, landing flat on his feet. He spun around, as his sword clashed with Bella's. He looked very focused. **"Three to get ready," **He said with a smirk as he brought his sword back, and swung it forward. Bella gasped, as it broke through hers with a loud crack. It was silent for a brief moment as the girl was in shock that she'd lost so soon. The seconds slowed down to what felt like hours, as she watched the sword vanish with a light flash and the twinkle of stardust on her hands. Time rushed back to normal speed as she was pinned against the lone palm tree with another rough slam that made the air rush out of her lungs yet again. The _'ting' _of Juniors sword was heard, as he pointed it to her throat. He kept a safe distance from it as he didn't want to hurt her.

"**And 4, to go." **He finished, staring the princess in her ocean blues. She growled, and shoved the sword out of her face. It was dull enough that it didn't do her any damage. "Okay. You've spiked my interest." She said apologetically. He smiled again, loving every minute of Bellas defeat.

"Well, on **One**, you take in to account the opponents ideal move," He began, putting a claw on his chin thinking of what to say. "You just lunged, so It wasn't too hard to dodge." He finished. The princess rolled her eyes yet again, and folded her arms on her chest. "_Yeah, yeah whatever_. What's **two**?" She said playfully.

"You try and find a vantage point; An area to strike."

She bit her lip, trying to imagine doing that during the match. It wasn't such a bad Idea at all.

"**Three** is an attempted strike, or a chance to disarm the opponent." He said again. Bella remembered her sword being broken after he called out '3 to get ready'. The bite on her lip intensified as she almost drew blood with embarrassment. "And** four **is to finally beat, or essentially kill the enemy."

She let out a light giggle. "Well, I'm glad you didn't kill me." She said sweetly, making Juniors heart race. "I could _never_." He said back to her. She moved her hands to her side, as her sword re- appeared in her right palm. Junior knew she was ready to try it again. He smiled and drew his sword as well. She gave him a heart melting smile, as her sword began to glow a soft purple.

** "One for the money," **She said, taking Junior by shock as she slammed her force field into his sword. This took him back a bit, as his eyes widened. **"Two for the show," **She shouted with glee, obviously noticing the shock in Juniors eyes. Their swords slid off of one another, as Junior stumbled back. He was trying to follow the steps himself, but Bella was swifter than he was. She ducked down and spun with her leg out, tripping the Koopa who landed on the sand with a thud.

** "Three to get ready"** She hummed as she swiped her sword to the right. She smiled with glee as his sword flew 20 feet away and stood up as it punctured the sandy beach. She looked down to Junior with a smile normally the koopa would have on his face. He was beginning to grow scared of Bella. The light from a nearby moon silhouetted her as she made her way closer to him. His heart was racing. His nose was met with the tip of her glowing blade as it cut through the air.

** "Four to go." **

A brief moment of silence was shared between the two, as Junior gazed up at her in wonder. The breeze blew through her hair, as she shut her eyes and a large smile came across her face. She lowered her sword, and let out a light sigh of comfort. She then began to giggle.

_ "Yes!" _She shouted, as she threw her fist in the air, the sword still in it. Juniors heart pace slowed to its natural speed, as he smiled. He admired her joy. He loved to see her happy. "_Did you see that?! _Well, _of course _you did. Maybe you had your eyes shut, I don't know!" She said quickly. She was squealing with joy.

Junior picked himself up, and dusted himself off with a chuckle. Bella turned to face him, as she began to try and help him up. _"I'm fine." _He said, pushing her away a bit. He didn't want to look too emasculated. He didn't want to ruin her good time, though. He knew he'd kick her butt at it next time.

* * *

"You know, you've never told me your real name."

Junior looked up from the piece of cake he was eating. Queen Peach had made it for him, when he told her he was going to meet someone special. She didn't question it, and made the best cake she could.

The duo (Bella and Junior) were still sitting on the same planet. They'd set out a blanket, and were both sitting on it. Bella continued to nibble on her cake, as she looked at Junior. "Sure I did. It's_ Junior_." He responded back, softly. He didn't want to tell Her his name; he feared she'd know his father. He was known for being a bad guy, and Junior didn't want to loose his only friend because of it.

She laughed a bit. "No... What's _before_ Junior? I'm assuming your named after your Grandfather, or Father."

He looked away from her, and stopped eating the cake. _"My father." _He mumbled.

She saw that Junior was distressed about something, but she didn't know what. _Did he have something to hide?_

"Whats his name?" She said sweetly, setting her cake down that was nearly finished. Junior was looking down to the sand. Bella didn't let this get in her way. She scooted closer to him, until their legs were touching. "Is it something embarrassing? I promise not to laugh." She said, staring up to him sweetly. He still didn't look at her. She let out a sigh. There was probably a reason He didn't want to share it with her.

"I'm sorry. That was rude of me," She began, looking off in the same direction Junior was. He gasped silently to himself. 'How was she being rude? She just asked a simple question.' He asked himself, the guilt starting to sink in. "I just don't want there to be any secrets between us. I really like you, and I want to get to know you better." She finished. Juniors heart had stopped beating when she said she 'really liked him'. What was he doing, ignoring a simple question? She'd have to find out sooner or later.

**"Bowser."**

Bellas eyes blinked briefly, as she turned her head to face to koopa who was already staring at her, as if to be begging for her response. "Huh?" She said, not knowing if she'd heard it correctly.

"My fathers name Is Bowser. I'm his son, Bowser Junior." He finally said with pride. His heart was still beating a million times a minute, and he didn't have the slightest clue as to how Bella would respond.

She blinked at him a few more times in confusion. "Whats so wrong with that?" She said with a light giggle. Juniors eyes grew wide with curiosity. "Do... Do you not know who he is?" Junior questioned, still wondering why This human girl didn't know about his father; the king of the dark lands. She was always different than other human girls. Since the first day they met, she's been so accepting of him and his kind. He soon felt dumb for considering the thought that Bella would change her mind about him.

"Am I supposed to?" She responded weakly, trying not to hurt Juniors feelings. Was Bowser someone important? She didn't know. He didn't mean to come out and tell her about who his father was, but it was something he felt like he couldn't really keep in. Especially if he wanted to expand their friendship.

"He's kind of... The king of the dark lands." Junior said, staring back out in the distance as he scratched the back of his neck. Bella gasped. 'Oh no, here it comes...' Junior thought. It was going to hurt to see her leave, but he knew he couldn't force her; not like his father would.

"He's... _King Koopa_?" She asked, dumbfounded. Junior looked back to her with weak eyes. "_I thought_... Well, I thought he was just a _fairy tale_... Just something in one of _mama's storybooks_..." She added, thinking back to her favorite book when she was younger. As she grew older, she just kind of shrugged the idea off. It seemed to good to be true. Junior was confused.

"A fairy tale? _Storybooks_? My father is in _storybooks_?" He asked, still curious about the girls past too. He'd never heard anything about her 'Mama' or where she lived. It wasn't this planet, she went 'home' every day. But where was her home?

"My Mother has a library. And in it, she wrote stories about your father, being a dark and dangerous force. He kidnapped the Princess, and then Master Mario saved her." She said, wonder sparkling in her eyes as she said the hero's name. '_Could this be? No..._' He said to himself, observing the girl in front of him once more. '_I'd have seen it before_.'

"Gosh, I used to_ love_ that story... _I cant believe its actually real_." She said, smiling out into space. Junior smiled at her weakly, before remembering he still had to clean the slate with Bella. "They are true. And sad as it is, It wasn't just one time," He began, knowing she'd hate him after he finished. "There were _dozens_ of other times where he tried to kidnap the princess for himself. Once while they were on vacation, too. How low can you get?" He sighed, remembering the part he took in the kidnappings; before he knew how cruel they really were. He was destroying someones life.

Bella stared at him, her eyes wide. "You're_ not_ like your father, _I know_ you're not." She said. Juniors eyes widened, as he looked at the girl. He was utterly shocked to hear her say that. She should hate him for hiding this from her for so long. Where was the punch he deserved? What about sand kicked in his face? None of that came. Just the pleasure of her smile. He didn't deserve to see that.

Bella was re-living her past, as she imagined fighting alongside the clad man. It brought a smile to her face. "Is Master Mario really how my mama described?" She asked bluntly. Junior tried to analyze the question before answering. "Well. How does your Ma' describe him?"

She smiled. "Short, Heroic, Brave, Smart, and the most Loyal man to the Mushroom Kingdom."

Junior still wasn't on excellent terms with Mario, even though he did sympathize for putting him through hell. He clenched his teeth, and tried to think of something to say that wouldn't make him barf. **"Well, he's definitely short."** He said with a laugh. Bella realized that Junior probably had angst against him, so she just smiled and dropped the subject. Junior still had a question on his mind though.

"How did your Mom know Mario?"

She blinked a few times in thought. "He helped her out. He stayed with her on the observatory whi-"

Juniors eyes Widened with shock. _She __**was**__ talking about __**Rosalina**__. _There was nobody else in space he knew with an observatory. He interrupted her mid sentence. "Your mom wouldn't happen to be... Rosalina?" He asked. He could feel his heart pound in his chest. Oh, how he wished she could be anyone else but the little girl Rosalina rescued. The one he watched kick his dad in the snout. Mario and Peach's daughter; _the girl he was in love with. _

She gave him one of the smiles he loved to see on her. _"Yeah, Do you know her?"_

The koopa princes heart sank. He was instantly reminded with past flashbacks of his Father trying to win over Queen Peach. He didn't want to become his father, but now he was holding his best friends parents from her, and she didn't even have a clue they were missing. _What kind of friend was he? How could she ever have feelings for such a **Monster**?_ He could feel tears well up in his eyes as he stared at her with awe. He felt so ignorant for not noticing it sooner.

She Looked just like Queen Peach, but with light honey brown hair instead of Blonde. It was just as long, and she was just as gorgeous. His heart sank to his stomach. He couldn't believe himself.

"Junior, Whats wr-" She began, concern evident in her eyes. At the sound of Bellas words, Junior stood up with a stumble, as he couldn't take his eyes off of Bella. He had to leave. He had to protect her from himself. "I... I have to go." He said weakly, Tears finally streaming down his face. If his father saw him right now, he'd be scorned for sure. But the Koopa prince couldn't hold it in any longer. He'd been doing it for 10 whole years.

"Junior? _Was it something I said_?" She asked, as her voice cracked with worry. She darted straight up and tried to follow the prince as he started to walk away from the girl. His heart shattered when he heard that she was distressed. He stopped in his tracks. They were both silent for a moment, as Bella gave him 4 feet of space.

"I forgot... I'm uh. Going on a vacation. I needed to be home a few hours ago." He lied, tears still falling from his eyes. Bella didn't believe him, for one moment. But she knew something was wrong that only time alone could fix. She ran up to him, tears falling from her eyes as well. She threw her arms around his neck, as she pulled him in for a hug.

"You'll be back, right?" She played along. Junior sensed this, and gave her a squeeze back as more tears fell. _He knew he couldn't come back_. His feelings were already too strong. He had to pick a side; his father, or the girl he loved. He couldn't do both, and he couldn't run away. He had to face his problems, no matter how much they hurt him.

"I... **I promise**." He lied, whimpering softly. Bella had never seen him so broken. She knew he really needed some space, and immediately felt bad for making him stay. "Have fun..." She said with a fake smile, as she dropped her arms to her side. Junior did the same, and turned around as quickly as possible to hide his face. She could still hear him sniffling. She smiled. He promised he'd be back. What was there to worry about.

"Hey," She began, tears ceasing. He didn't turn around, but stopped walking forward. "_Tag_. You're it." She said with a giggle, as she tapped him on the back of the shell. He clenched his teeth together. He knew if he didn't, he'd start sobbing again.

"What was that for?" He said, still not looking back to her.

**"To make sure you'll come back. I know you'd never let me win at Tag."** She said with a smile.

* * *

**Thank you everyone for reading! I had a lot of fun writing this chapter. The story with have 3 More chapters up ( I'm assuming, as I already know how Im going to end everything) And I Am planning on making a sequel to this. I'm not sure if anyone would be interested in reading it, but I know I have to write it after this, or else my brain will explode with ideas. Thank you for your patience with me!**


	9. Acceptance

_**Hey guys! This chapter is short compared to my others, but I kind of needed to post something. My ideas are really flocking to the ending of the story (I'm super excited for it). Thanks for all the reviews, and I hope you enjoy this chapter!**_

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Junior picked at the food on his plate, eyes half mast , head in his palm. He was growing tired of being in outer space. He'd been up here since he was _4_. Not like there was much more to look at down on Earth; their home was burnt to a crisp and filled with lava- but It somehow seemed infinity more pleasant than sitting through another dinner with his father and Queen Peach, who learned how to fake a happy face surprisingly well.

She reminded him of Bellatrix every time they sat down to eat. In a way, Junior had hoped Peach would want to continue to skip dinner like she had 9 years ago. Bella had the exact same tenancies, which was weird because Peach was raised as royalty. They had the same laugh, same smile, and even the same look of annoyance when he said something cocky. The only thing that wasn't the same about the two was Peach's petite manner. Bellatrix was bold and was extremely outspoken. Junior thought it was weird how the qualities he liked the most about Bella, were inherited by someone he disliked the most.

He missed Bellatrix. Today was her 17th birthday, and he was going to miss it. He had to. He couldn't continue to see her again while lying to her. And he couldn't just tell her what happened. _'Yeah, I kidnapped your parents and they're being held against their will and have been for 17 years! It's cool though!'_. Great way to break the Ice, right?

He hadn't gone back to that planet since the day he found out who she really was. It broke his heart to imagine her waiting for him, but she probably had far better things to be doing than waiting for him, right? Bella probably showed up the first three days and stopped after she saw he wasn't coming back. She probably forgot about him already.

"Alright, _cut the crap_. Whats gotten into you lately?" A booming voice called, catching the eyes of the Koopa prince who merely just looked up from his plate. Junior looked up to see his father, who was giving his son a very annoyed stare. He'd stopped eating the food on his plate, waiting for a response. Junior really didn't feel like discussing his love for Bella, especially in front of her Mother. He didn't feel like discussing anything with anybody, for that matter. There were often times where even Peach had been shut down when questioning Juniors depressed nature.

"Its nothing." The prince said back emotionless. His eyes fell back down to his plate. Bowser growled in annoyance as he set his fork down on the table. Peach examined the two, and patted her mouth with the corner of her napkin. She cleared her throat. Bowser gave her a confused glare, that the Queen simply ignored. It seemed like she wanted the king to let it be, but Bowser was still persistent.

"Its _obvious_ somethings wrong, dammit. You've been moping around the ship for nearly an entire year now. _I'm sick of looking at it_." He said harshly, words filled with venom. Junior still ignored his father. That might have hurt him a few years ago, but he let it slide off his shoulders this time. There was no use in fighting about not wanting to talk. It was pointless. As if their father/son relationship hadn't been ruined already.

"I'd rather not talk about it. _Not like you'd understand anyway_." Junior responded, not making eye contact. This made His father even more upset. It was obvious he cared for his son, but he just had an awful way of showing it. He stood up from his seat, slamming his hands on the table. Junior still payed him no mind. "_You little_-"

He was interrupted by Peach, who cleared her throat even louder, death glare fixed on Bowser. He took note and lowered his tone. His teeth clenched as he sat back down. He was growling under his breath, rage seething through. He was always a hot head.

"I don't mean to pry, but you _have_ been acting a little below the weather. You haven't left the ship in forever," Peach began, looking to Junior with pure sincerity. Junior gave in, and faced the Queen. _She really did look just like Bella. _

"You used to leave every single day; you couldn't wait to leave. What about that special friend you had? I'm sure she misses you." Peach finished. She was trying to make the prince feel better but her words only made him feel 1000x worse. Juniors face grew red hot, as he could feel practically his father staring at him with wide eyes.

"You were seeing a _girl_?" Bowser questioned, in a surprisingly chipper tone. Juniors face that had previously been crumpled in fear of being pummeled, was now relaxed with confusion. He looked up to his father, who had a smirk on his face. Junior hadn't told The king about his friend being a girl, for reasons that were now seeming to be pointless. He thought his dad would pummel him for talking to a girl. Bowser Laughed loudly and reached across the table, setting a claw on his sons shoulder.

_ "That's my boy!"_ He said with another laugh. Junior felt mixed emotions about this. He was so happy to have his fathers approval, but it was with someone He knew his father wouldn't approve of. Nonetheless, Junior couldn't hide the smile on his face.

"Tell me," He began, leaning closer to his son over the table. "_How far did ya' get?_"

Juniors face immediately went red as he shoved his father away in embarrassment. Bowser let out a laugh as he sat down. "It wasn't like that!" The prince stuttered. He could feel his cheeks getting warmer and warmer. He looked up to Peach to see how badly she was judging him, but she just laughed lightly at the duo. Junior smiled lightly at the scene, relieved to see she wasn't giving him that annoyed look.

"So why'd you stop goin'?" Bowser asked, looking back to his son. Juniors heart dropped silently along with his eyes. '_Because she was your prisoners daughter_,' He thought sarcastically to himself. "Was she not so advanced in the beauty department?" The king laughed, continuing to eat the food on his plate. Junior grew a scowl on his face at his fathers words. "Was she starting to fall for you or something, and it was weird because she was so hideous?" Bower joked again, receiving a growl from Junior whose eyes emitted anger.

"She was _not_ hideous," He began, making the table go silent. Bowser smirked at his sons anger, instead of snapping back. "She was the most beautiful girl I've ever seen." He finished softly, but loud enough for everyone at the table to hear. His father didn't say anything, but a somber look went across his face, as he looked down to his plate. Junior sighed as he did the same.

Bowser knew exactly where his son was coming from, and decided to leave it at that. He thought the Queen was the most beautiful girl he's ever seen, and He kidnapped her because she would never willingly go with him. Junior probably had his reasons for not going to the planet anymore, and he didn't want to get to deep into the subject. He hated showing emotion, let alone in front of his son, who was supposed to admire him, and The woman he loved who he'd hoped would do the same.

"I'm so sorry."

Both of the koopas looked to their rights, and saw the princess, staring at junior with sad eyes. "I'm sorry for bringing it up." She finished. Neither of them said anything back, or at all for a few moments until the Guards came and took Peach to her room.

* * *

"Thank you for doing this, again." The Queen whispered, to the Koopa in front of her. Junior was holding a torch, leading the way down a dark hallway. They were headed down to see Mario. A few years previously, he was held in a separate wing of cells (_Why were there so many cells on this damn ship? Who did he capture?_). He'd been moved to an 'isolation' room where everything was nearly pitch black, and nobody (even the guards) went. It was much easier to sneak into, but probably a lot worse for Mario. He was still fed every day, even though Junior didn't know why his father would keep his enemy alive. Not that Junior would let him die anyway.

"Don't mention it," He said, smiling over his shoulder to the Queen. She smiled back, birthday cake in her hands. The flame dimly flickered, casting dancing shadows against the wooden cell walls. They made a right turn, and Junior Began to fumble with a set of keys. The biggest one on the ring was the one used for the most secure cell Bowser had ever created; the one Mario was currently stuck in.

They made their way to the door, and Junior unlocked it. The door wasn't made from bars, but a single solid slab of titanium. The whole room was plated with the stuff. The light flooded into the little dark room, as the red clad man (who was now dressed in rags) came into view. He winced in pain, and blinked a few times.

"Peachy..." He said with a smile, his wife obviously coming into his view. She spared no time rushing into the room, and into her husbands arms. They shared a silent moment of bliss, before Peach unwrapped the cake and they began with their typical routine. Today was special, though. It was Bella's birthday, and Peach had made a special cake to commemorate it. It was the same kind she made every year for either Bella's birthday, or Mario's birthday. It was the same cake She'd made Junior to take with him when he met up with Bella.

Mario took the cake, and smiled weakly. "I miss her so much." He said, looking down to the cake. Peach did the same, as she thought about her daughter. It's been 17 years since they've seen her. She's practically an adult now. Peach was starting to loose hope of ever having a connection with their daughter, and it was evident. "I miss her too." Peach agreed, still not touching her cake.

"Do you think," She began, voice cracking. Marios attention (along with Juniors who was listening from the hall) was immediatly drawn to the choaked up Peach. "Do you think she'll even want to know us?" She said bluntly. The air felt extremely thin to Junior as the words filled his ears. He felt guilt wash over him, as he scowled to the ground.

Mario looked to Peach with confusion. "Why wouldn't she?" He asked. She looked up to him, tears falling down her cheeks. "It's been 17 years. We've missed her growing up. We're strangers to her." She said. Mario's heart broke with the realization they'd really been separated for that long. He shook his head, and set his cake down. He placed his hands on her cheeks, and wiped her tears as he gave her a look of security. "I'm sure Rosalina has told her everything."

Juniors heart sank again, knowing full well Bella was being lied to at the observatory. _What kind of sick chick did Rosalina have to be to lie to a girl about her own folks? Because she wanted a child of her own?_

Peach began to break into sobs, which made Junior feel another wash of guilt.

_** "How do we know she's even alive?!"**_

Peaches cries echoed through the hall, while Mario and Junior both still remain silent. Mario didn't say a word; instead he was frozen as if he'd never even considered the possibility. Tears began to roll down his cheeks, and he shook his head, eyes still wide. "No. Not our Belle," He said, trying to reassure his wife, though he was still slightly considering the awful possibility. Peach still continued to sob at the thought. Junior knew he couldn't just let them think she was dead. He had to tell them about Bella.

_ "She's not dead."_

Junior stood in the cell doorway, catching the attention of the couple. They were both crying, and Junior himself was fighting back tears. They looked up at his shadow from the hallway. If they could have seen his face clearly, they would have seen the pain in his eyes. "I know she's not dead," He said again, heart racing. He couldn't believe what he was about to do.

_ "Because she's the one I've been seeing on that planet for the past 6 years."_

* * *

_**Wow, that really was short. I'm sorry for kinda letting you down, but I couldn't really think of much else to add along with this section. I would have just mashed the next chapter with this, But then I feel like that would have been incredibly long. I didn't want to bore anybody with details. Thank you for reading, and I'll be working on the next chapter tomorrow, so It shouldn't be too far away!. **_


	10. Lone Starbunny

**As compensation for such a short chapter yesterday, I made a chapter twice as long, with 4 times the emotion, and 87438472 times sooner than normal. This is the second to last chapter, and it's a chapter I don't advise skimming over. (Plot points that will be used in both next chapter and the sequel). I turned into a total sappy mcsapperton in the end A/N, but I hope you enjoy this chapter nonetheless. Thanks everyone!**

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"Bella, you don't need to get all dressed up," Rosalina laughed with a smile, leaning against the bathroom door. "They don't expect you to be in high fashion. It's just a gathering." She finished, looking at the door as if she could see through it.

"It's my 17th birthday, can you just _humor me_?" She said sarcastically through the shut door. She was slipping into a very fancy dress that she hardly ever wore because she thought she'd taint its beauty. It was something Rosalina had made her, but she was too scared of ruining it to ever actually wear it. Today was an exception, however.

She was going to stop at the planet she'd always visit, in hopes of seeing Junior again. She'd never gone a single day without going, even though he _never_ showed up. Today was her birthday; _he had to be there_. Didn't he? _He promised he'd come back... Maybe that was going to be her present?_ She laughed lightly at the thought of seeing him again.

She missed him a lot, but kept him a secret. They way he got all weird when He found out Rosalina was her mother obviously meant something, even though she had no idea what. Maybe he didn't like her, But Junior wasn't the type to leave like that, even if that was the reason. There _had_ to be something more.

"Fine. Just know you look fantastic in whatever you put on." The queen said with a smile. She turned around, her eyes meeting the opposite side of the bedroom. Bellatrix's easel stood in the corner, paints in a container next to them. A canvas sat on the Easel. Rosalina hovered over to it, examining it once more. The first thing to catch her eye was the pale complexion of a pair of shoulders. They were connected to the lower half of a face which was painted in full. The face was accompanied by a set of peach colored lips, which were standing out due to the bright aqua dress that the girl was wearing. It took her a moment to realize, but it was _her_... _**Rosalina**_.

Bella took her time to paint this? It was gorgeous. The princess had only improved since she first decided to taking up painting as a hobby, and she was incredible at it. The whole observatory was filled with miscellaneous paintings of hers throughout the years. Even so, none of them caught the queens attention quite like this one.

_"Do you like it?"_

Rosalina turned her head to see Bellatrix standing almost as tall as the queen, in a knee length white dress. _'She's finally wearing it,'_ The queen thought with a smile. She'd worked really hard on that dress, and she almost got tired of looking at it. Seeing it on Bella was a different story though. Bella stared at Rosalina with a smile, which made Rosalina blink and remember the question she was asked.

"It's incredible." She finally said, looking back to the canvas. Bella smiled again, as she walked closer to Rosalina. "It's not finished, but It's a start." She said, thinking up thousands of ways to make it better. "You're too critical of yourself, dear." The queen said, still admiring the painting.

She turned and looked again to Bellatrix, who was still staring at the canvas behind the queen. "You look-"

"_Overdressed?_" Bella said, cutting off Rosalina who gave the princess a smirk. "Beautiful."

Bella blushed, as she stared down to her feet for a brief moment. The Queen walked up to Bella, and placed a bent index finger under her chin. She lifted the Princesses face up so their eyes met. "Don't let _anyone_ tell you otherwise."

Bellatrix's smiled again and hugged Rosalina as tight as she could. "_Thanks, mom._" She said with a light laugh. Rosalina froze a bit when The girl called her mom. Even after 17 years, facing the facts still never got any easier. Even though the king and queen were gone, Rosalina still felt like a terrible person for protecting her feelings.

"I'm going to go brush my hair again," Bella began, Snapping the queens attention back. "Sorry for being to critical, but I cant deal with Knots." She finished with a laugh. Rosalina smiled at her, as she let her free from a hug. She ran into the bathroom, and shut the door with a hum.

Something had gotten into her within the past few years. She's been bubbly and often wanting to look more like a girl. Not like she hadn't been before, but Bella was always known for not exactly caring about appearances. Even through her nights where she'd come home from 'adventuring' (which she still did) crying her eyes out, and not telling Rosalina why, she'd still get up the next day and want to repeat it over again. There wasn't a night where she didn't go, and starting nearly a year ago, there wasn't one where she didn't fill her pillow with tears.

Rosalina always asked for a reason, but never got one. She even started to tag along with Bella just to see what was making her upset, but it seemed to be nothing. Bella would be happy, and rush to a sling star on the first galaxy's planet. She'd end up on the beach one above it, and just sit there for hours. As if she was waiting for something, or _someone._ She'd always end up breaking down into tears, and then coming home after 25 minutes of sobbing.

It seemed to be nothing, which was simple to agree with when that's all the Bella accused it of being.

**_"Mama! Mama!"_** A luma shouted, rushing into the bedroom, de-railing the Queens train of thought. He looked at the queen with worry, which made Rosalina lightly panic.

"What is it?" She asked back, beginning to hover to the Luma. _"You have visitors from the Mushroom Kingdom! They want to speak with you, but they're very grumpy..."_ The luma said, a frown forming on its face.

Rosalinas heart sank into her stomach. She lost grip of reality, after the Luma said that residence from the Kingdom below were on her Observatory. _They were obviously here for Bella; here to argue about why the king and queen of their kingdom had yet to be found._ How was she going to clear this up? It's been _17_ years since the incident happened. It's been nearly _8_ years since she stopped responding completely to the kingdom below, and its been _13_ years since the death of its rulers. _How was she supposed to break it to them? To Bella?_ She felt foolish for not expecting them to come claim the princess. Rosalina would have broken down into sobs if she didn't feel so numb.

"Mama? _Are you okay_?" The luma asked again. Rosalina shook her head, and reality poured itself into her head once more. She looked to the Bathroom door, which was still shut. A humming Bella was still inside. _She didn't hear anything, thank goodness._ Rosalina formulated a quick plan in her head of not telling Bella anything. Of Solving the issue with whoever was visiting, and having them leave. Bella didn't even have to know.

Without a word, she quickly rushed out to the observatory, and spotted the unmistakable toad that was there to greet her. His hat was a brown color, and he walked with the same cane he always had though he definitely surpassed it in age. She was not looking forward to this at all.

"Toadsworth." She said, catching his attention. He had two toads beside him, both significantly younger. They looked at her with confusion, but also with frowns. Rosalina felt like she could vomit.

**_"Where have you been?!"_ **He said bluntly, louder than Rosalina was expecting. She was a bit taken aback by this, and was at a loss for words. Toadsworth grew irritated, and hobbled closer and closer to the Queen who began to panic. Lumas from around paused what they were doing, and began to watch the scene unfold.

_"**Huh?!** Where **were** you!? You haven't responded to a letter in **seven years**!"_ He said, now practically shouted. All that could be heard was the sound of Toadsworths sharp breathing, and the pounding in Rosalinas chest. She had no words.

He gave her an even more disgusted look, growing more annoyed with her lack of response.

"We've come to collect **Princess Annabelle Maurizia Toadstool**." A toad with a red spotted hat said in a softer tone. The Blue clad one that stood next to him nodded in agreement with the same sour look Toadsworth had.

_There it was._ The words she dreaded, yet knew were coming. All of the lumas and starbunnies were now staring at the scene, mouths agape. They all knew the same information the Queen did, and felt ashamed for being a part of a secret.

Rosalina opened her mouth to speak, but Toadsworth let out a growl, and slammed the tip of his cane on the glass observatory floor. It let out a loud crack, though nothing broke. The tears were welling in Rosalinas eyes, as her throat began to ache.

_"There is **no** discussion! She belongs in her **true ****kingdom**! You've had her for **More than enough time**!"_ He said, shouting up to her. It was strange how she could feel so intimidated by someone one sixth her size.

_"We only let you keep her for so long because you said it's what the **Queen wanted for her**,"_ He continued, words like heated metal that was stuck through Rosalinas chest. "_But **Luigi and Daisy** have **their own kingdom to Run**, and **I'm not of the royal bloodline!**"_ He said again. The queen of the cosmos felt everything she'd been shoving aside come crashing back into her chest.

_"Its also obvious that you **stopped caring** about **finding the King and Queen...**"_ He mumbled, with a disgusted scowl. It was much more sinister than any other he'd given her since he was on the observatory, and hurt just as much. Rosalina deserved everything she was getting, didn't she?

"We need her help. We can _finally_ do what **you** were asked to do 17 years ago." He said again. Even though it was in a softer tone than his now typical scream, it hurt just as much, if not more._ Now she had to tell them the king and queen were actually dead._ She feared being ripped to shreds by the trio, but she had to confess. Now was really the time she had to spill her guts. "_The king and queen..."_ She began, silent tears falling from her face. **_"The king and queen are de-"_**

_**"What's going on here?"**_ Bella asked curiously, walking towards the group. Everyone on the observatory turned to face the Princess; all except Rosalina who simply continued to stare blankly in front of her with wide eyes. _'No, not now'_ she begged silently. Her back was to Bella, which was the only thing not making the teen panic.

The trio of Toads, looked at the princess with awe. Their mouths all dropped as they stared at her in pure wonder. _"Your Highness,"_ Toadsworth stuttered, as he began to struggle to bow in front of Bella. She smiled, and stood beside yet behind Rosalina. The queen continued to hope Bella wouldn't see her tears.

Noticing the toad was struggling, she threw her hands forward, shaking them in a 'no' fashion. "No need for the formality." She said with a smile. All three of the toads looked back to her with huge smiles, and wide eyes. "Your father said the _exact same_ thing." Toadsworth said, still in wonder. She was definitely _Annabelle_. There was no mistaking it. She looked like a clone of her parents combined into a single girl.

Bella giggled in confusion. "You must have me confused for someone else. _I don't have a father._" She said, as if it was a common mistake. The blue and red toad gasped, before shooting another sour look to Rosalina. The Queen still was staring off into the distance, pain cracking into her heart. _'stop this,'_ she said to herself. **_'wake up already, wake up.'_**

Toadsworth formed a face that was of pure shock. It was hard to tell how he was feeling. "You... _You lied to her_?" He said softly, looking to the Queen who finally looked back to him. Tears fell from her eyes silently like waterfalls. "Lied to me? What are you-"

His face immediately crumpled with a look of pure hatred and disgust. _**"HOW DARE YOU!"**_ He shouted, rushing up to the Queen who stumbled backwards.

"**Dont** talk to **my mother** that way!" Bella shouted over Toadsworth, Jumping in front of the queen, as if to be shielding her from his words. The Toad stopped dead in his track, and stared at the queen. He was in complete disbelief of what he was witnessing. "**You told her... you were her mother**?" He questioned, eyes twitching. It looked like he was going to blow a gasket.

"Told me? _She **is** my mother._" Bella said back to Toadsworth with a look of anger. He looked up to the Brunette princess in front of him, in a completely numbing rage. He clenched his teeth together, and growled. "She's the _farthest_ thing from your mother."

Bella scoffed at the brown clad toad, and regained her composure. "I'm going to have to ask you to leave." She said calmly, yet firmly. The three toads gasped, yet all continued to look frustrated. Rosalinas tears stopped pouring, but it hurt to hold them back. She was trying to calm herself.

**_"Leave?!_** _We've been trying to repair that ship for **years** to come here to get you!"_ The red toad shouted. Bella rolled her eyes. "You **don't** talk to my mother that-"

Bellas words were cut off, by a hand on her shoulder. _**"Stop,"**_ Rosalina ordered, eyes emotionless but filling up with tears yet again. Bellatrix was shocked, and looked over her shoulder to see her 'mother' in distress. "_**Mom,** I've got thi-_"

She looked Bella directly in the eyes. **"I'm not your mother."** She said.

Bella gasped in confusion and shock. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. Her heart was now in her throat, but also being mushed into her lower stomach. "_What? **What does that mean**_?" She said, feeling the back of her throat ache. She could feel tears coming, but she didn't want to believe it. Rosalina was just covering for her, right?

"_It means **I lied to you**._" She said, her emotionless face still staring at Bellas now broken one. The only thing that led to any suspicion that Rosalina felt pain was the massive amount of tears silently falling from her eyes. "_No..._ _You're kidding..._ A birthday joke, right?" She said with a laugh, though the laugh was obviously forced. The crack in her voice made itself known as she stared at Rosalina with pleading eyes, begging for it to all be a sick joke or some awful nightmare. More tears fell from the queens face, as no response was given to Bellas plea.

"_No..._" She said, backing away from Rosalina, looking at all the lumas and Starbunnies who were beginning to cry too. "_No... **No!**_" Bella sobbed, as she collapsed to her hands and knees. All that could be heard for the period of time the princess was on the ground was her sobs. They echoed along the observatory, and sent cracks of pain into everyone's hearts. They hated to see the princess so broken. They'd never seen her like that before. She'd always been the happiest being they knew, but she now seemed to be ripped to shreds.

Even Toadsworth began to tear up at the scene, who was originally infuriated. Rosalina looked to be the least compassionate of the group, though she was the one who was aching the most (_besides Bella_). Her heart felt like it was ripped out of her chest. She could do nothing but stare bold faced to the weeping teenager in front of her. Nobody spoke for what seemed like forever.

A few moments passed, before Bella began to cough, choking on her own tears. She calmed herself down and eventually stopped crying. She was still on her hands and knees; she couldn't face anyone.

"_Who is my real mom?_" She said coldly, making Rosalina bite the inside of her lip. She tried to make it as unnoticeable as possible that she was being ripped from the inside out. Toadsworth made his way to the teenager, and placed a hand on her back, rubbing it gently. Bella found this soothing, yet was ashamed it hadn't been Rosalina. Who was she kidding, if Rosalina came down there Bella would shove her away. _How could she lie to Bella?_

"Your mother is the Queen of the Mushroom Kingdom," Toadsworth began, simply coming out with it. Bellas eyes widened. _'No, she couldn't be...'_ she thought. She swallowed hard, still not looking up to face anyone. "And... _My father?_" She asked, breathing heavily.

"Your father Is King Mario, of the Mushroom Kingdom," He said, as if it was shocking she didn't know who her father was. An audible gasp escaped the princesses lips as she covered her mouth. The hero from her favorite storybook; _**he was her father?**_ The man that went through **_multiple hellish landscapes to save the woman he loved was her father?_** She couldn't believe it.

"Princess?" The blue toad questioned softly, noticing Bellas reaction. "_Not only are they real... **but they're my parents?**_" She said, finally looking up to Toadsworth. He looked confused but then smiled at her. He didn't question where she knew them from; she knew them and that would be less for her to have to take in.

Toadsworth said nothing, but continued to rest his hand on the princesses back. Another brief moment of silence, was broken by the princess sitting up on her knees. Her eyes were bright red, and made Rosalina break even more inside.

"Were are they now?" She said with a sniffle, looking to Toadsworth. She payed Rosalina no mind. Not like Rosalina was showing she cared much. Hearing her ask the question, Rosalina could feel her heart beat faster again. **She was now going to finally say it.** She opened her mouth to speak, but Toadsworth cut her off. This time unintentionally.

"They're in the center of the Universe. _Our radar has been picking them for the past month._"

Rosalinas eyes grew wide as her heart sank again, but was also filled with instant relief._ 'They're alive?'_ She asked herself, a smile spreading on her face. She remembered how devastated she was when they died; wait, she _saw_ them die. _She witnessed it with her own two eyes_. Was it just a trick? Bowser was indeed clever when he wanted to be. Rosalina felt like a fool. Shame washed over her as Toadsworth stared at her with a look of '_I cant believe you._'

Bella grabbed her head, and let out a loud shriek that startled everyone on the observatory, including Rosalina. "_Are you okay, your Highness_?!" The toads asked, frantically rushing up to the princess, who now was facing the ground with her eyes squinted shut. They slammed open as she caught her breath, and the pain was replaced with memories; memories she had no idea she'd forgotten.

**"I remember..."** She said, earning a look of confusion from everyone except the Queen, who knew exactly what was going on.

"King Koopa has them... They were in a cage; _I saw them._.." Bella recalled. Rosalina couldn't believe remembering would leave her memories so vivid. She was kind of glad she didn't have to explain what happened to her parents; how they were kidnapped.

There was one thing that was stronger than any kind of magic (including memory spells) Rosalina could conjure. **_It was Love._ **It meant she really did Love Mario. Even though she didn't know he was her father until now, she loved him as a man she thought was a spectacular hero. It was no surprise she remembered.

"You _saw_ them!? _**When**_?!" The red toad asked frantically, trying to get the Princesses insight. "When I was very young... **_I remember_**." She thought for a moment, and then remembered another important fact. _Junior was Bowsers son._

It all made sense now. The reason he had to leave after he found out Rosalina was Bellas... 'Mother'... It was all aligning. She couldn't believe what was happening. _This was all too much._ Rosalina suddenly began to hover away, catching the eyes of the Toads who stared at her grumpily as she trailed off. They didn't say a word, they figured it was no use.

Bella stumbled as she tried to get up, but had help from the toads and a few floating lumas.

**_"We have to save them."_** She said proudly, making the toads smile. "_Just like your father._" Toadsworth said again. Bella smiled, and soon felt happy about the situation. She'd always felt left in the dark about a lot of things. Nothing Rosalina told her about humans really made much sense, but now to find out that it was all lies, it began to make sense. Bellatrix was washed over with a sense of stability, even though the one who originally had made her the most stable was now gone in the direction of the bedroom.

"So, where exactly _is_ the center of the universe?" Bella asked, feeling ignorant. Toadsworth pulled out a device with a weird logo on it. Pressing the logo, a holographic board appeared before the group. A red blinking dot flickered in the eyes of the princess. "It's not too far from here. It's near the _first Galaxy_." Toadsworth said, as the group huddled around the device.

"Then that's where we need to go." Bella said, smiling at Toadsworth who returned the smile. He was very happy to finally interact with the king and Queens daughter. So were the other toads that had joined him on his voyage through the stars.

"I just need to grab something really quick," Bella said, stepping in the same direction Rosalina left in. "I'll be right back." She said, finally turning around and running to the Bedroom. Of course Bella wanted an explanation, but she knew she wasn't going to get one from Rosalina.

She pushed aside the curtain, only to see Rosalina standing in front of her bed with a necklace in her hand. Bellatrix scowled at her, before running over to her separate bed to get her satchel. Rosalina still had light tears running down her cheeks, but it didn't stop Bella from being upset. Nothing really could.

"_Bellatrix, please li-_"

"_It's **Anna**_." She said coldly, inturupting Rosalina. She choked on her words, as she drew back from the girl. She knew she deserved every bit of Bellas hatred. She clenched her teeth as more tears fell. Bella continued to search under her bed for her satchel.

"I want you to know that this was _never_ my intention." Rosalina finally managed to get out. Bella chuckled before coming from under the bed with her satchel in tow. "_What was it then? To ruin my life?_ Because if so, **_you damn near hit the jackpot._**" Bella snapped again, opening the latch to her bag and rummaging through it.

Rosalina hurt, but kept reminding herself she needed to hear it. "**I thought your parents were dead.**" She said with another crack. Bella paused for a moment, squeezing the top flap to her bag. She felt anger beginning to throw itself out of her mouth, forming into words she didn't necessarily mean to speak. "_How do I know you aren't just **lying again**?_"

Rosalina stuttered a breath, trying to calm herself down. "_You don't,_" She began, tears beginning to show themselves through sobs. "I also know I don't deserve your trust. _I don't deserve anyone's trust_." She continued. Bella Paused, as she stared into her bag.

"**I lied**. _I lied about **everything**_. _About your **parents**, about **me**;_ **I lied**, _okay_?" She said again, still sobbing. Bella could feel the tears welling up in her eyes.

_"But the __**one**__ thing, I __**REFUSE **__to let you accuse me of lying about, was ever, for a single moment, __**not loving you**__." _

Tears welled over in Bellas eyes, as she could feel her throat begin to ache again. Bella realized she didn't listen to Rosalinas point of view. It was obvious she had a reason for what she did, and its not like Bella was treated badly on the Observatory. She was treated with love, and compassion; more than most get.

"_I **know** you hate me_, and I understand. _I really hate me too_. But I cant let you leave," She said, pausing because she was crying. Bella looked up to her again, about to say something snappy back, but Rosalina cut her off again.

**_"Without telling you I'm sorry."_**

Rosalinas eyes were beat red, as she held the necklace in her hand. She rose it up to Bella who didn't say a word until the sparkling object caught her eye.

"What is that?" Bella said rather coldly. Rosalina faked a smile through her tears. "A gift from your parents." She said, still holding the Locket.

Bella was immediately intrigued, as she closed her full satchel and walked slowly up to Rosalina and held the Necklace herself.

It was a golden locket. Her fingers traced it in curiosity, as they felt something engraved on the opposite side. She flipped it over, and saw engraved on the small golden heart _"la nostra piccola principessa"._ She looked at it confused, as she didn't know what it said.

"It means _'Our Little Princess'_," Rosalina said, as Bella scanned it over once more. She smiled through her tears, as she thought of her Hero being her father, and the prettiest woman she knew (Besides Rosalina) being her mother. She opened it sheepishly, almost afraid to see what was on the inside. Rosalina watched as her fake smile turned into a real one, as she saw Bella starting to connect with her real parents. It felt good to not lie to her. She wished shed never told Bella to call her mother. She should have told her the truth from the start.

Bellatrix finally managed to open the locket, to see a photo of her hero's holding her in their arms. Bellas heart suddenly felt large and warm in her chest as more tears fell. They were of happiness and confusion, but mostly happiness. On the inside, the locket read **_"Princess Bella."_**

Bella immediately felt sorry for snapping at Rosalina, but didn't say anything. She smiled as the last few tears fell from her cheeks. She clutched the locket to her chest, before she actually put it on. It shone in the twinkling light of the bedroom. Looking up to Rosalina, Bella saw that she was done sobbing, but she still stared at Bella with a smile. The princess couldn't fight it anymore.

She threw her arms around the Queen, and hugged her almost tighter than she had just an hour ago. Funny to think how much can change in an hour. Rosalina was shocked at first, but wasn't going to look a gift horse in the mouth. She returned the hug with just as much strength as she could muster at her moment of weakness.

Their hug lasted for a short while, but it was still long enough to be the most emotional one they'd ever shared. It was then that Bella muttered two words that Rosalina _never_ expected Bella to say.

**_"Thank you."_**

Rosalina smiled a genuine smile, as the two separated. Rosalina _now could let her go._ It would be tough, but Rosalina had been through this before with her own mother. Learning to face her mothers death was tragic, but it in a way prepared her for this.

Bella wiped the remaining tears away from her face with her wrist, before she turned around and walked out of the bedroom, leaving Rosalina alone in the silence. She blinked a few tears out of her eyes as she turned around to face Bellas bed.

_**A lone yet worn Plush Starbunny leaned against a row of pillows on Bellas Bed.**_

* * *

**WOOOO Geez, sorry for there not being any comic relief in this story. I just really wanted this chapter to be powerful. I think the next chapter is probably going to Finnish the story off, so you know what that means... (If you don't, I'm talking about motivation.) Everyone leaving reviews so far : Elemental Queen, Willis, Mobyfunk9, belemcillaj, loic-heitzmann.2001, TheFanficTheif101, Kitten core, and a few more guests (who didn't leave names) are all incredible and I honestly cant thank you guys enough for the input. I know there's still another chapter to go, but I just wanted to give you all another big Thank you. Also, an extremely large thank you to those who added this story to their favorites/follows. It really means a lot that I created something worthy enough of being on a list like that. So Basically, if your reading this, Thank you so much for giving me the motivation to continue this. I wouldn't have been able to make it this far without you guys. (:**


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